Secretly Us
by Goldengirlie
Summary: Hazel Levesque.Piper Mclean. Thalia Grace. Annabeth Chase. 4 girls who left Goode High last year after being humiliated. They are the biggest thing in Hollywood. Now they're back. How will the students at Goode react to the girls they bullied returning better than ever?(not good with summaries, also first story, so please don't hesitate to tell me how to improve!) don't own at all.
1. Lets Start at the Very Beginning

Prologue

Annabeth's POV

I fumble with the camera, eventually finding the on button.

"Hey guys! I'm Annabeth." I say, pushing my curly blonde hair away from my face, my grey eyes staring into the camera. I'm dressed plainly, with my grey tank top and jeans.

"I'm Piper," Says the girl to my right, Piper McLean. Piper has choppy brown hair and eyes that change color in the light. She's gorgeous, but she tries to hide it by hacking off her hair and wearing ratty clothes

"Thalia," says the girl to Piper's right, Thalia Grace. At first glance, Thalia just screams punk, what with her spiky black hair, heavy eyeliner surrounding her electric blue eyes, and her all black wardrobe.

"and I'm Hazel" said the girl to my left, Hazel Levesque. Hazel exudes innocence with her wide gold eyes and curly cinnamon colored hair.

"We made this video because we are bullied for hanging out with the most popular guys at our school. We write songs and have created a band for fun, and well we hope you like our first song," says Piper, nervously glancing around.

We cut to our makeshift stage. Thalia sits behind the drums, waiting for her cue. Piper grabs her favorite guitar. Hazel is standing by her keyboard. I have the microphone. Thals starts to play.

(normal= Annabeth, Italics= Piper, Underlined= Hazel, bold= Thalia, bold/underlined/italics= all)

I wouldn't wanna be anybody else.

You made me insecure

Told me I wasn't good enough

But who are you to judge

When you're a diamond in the rough

I'm sure you got some things

You'd like to change about yourself

But when it comes to me

I wouldn't want to be anybody else

 **Na na na**

 **Na na na**

 **Na na na**

 **Na na na**

 _I'm no beauty queen_

 _I'm just beautiful me_

 **Na na na**

 **Na na na**

You've got every right

To a beautiful life

C'mon

Who says

Who says you're not perfect

Who says you're not worth it

Who says you're the only one that's hurting

Trust me

That's the price of beauty

Who says you're not pretty

Who says you're not beautiful

Who says

It's such a funny thing

How nothing's funny when it's you

You tell 'em what you mean

But they keep whiting out the truth

It's like a work of art

That never gets to see the light

Keep you beneath the stars

Won't let you touch the sky

 **Na na na**

 **Na na na**

 **Na na na**

 **Na na na**

 _I'm no beauty queen_

 _I'm just beautiful me_

 **Na na na**

 **Na na na**

You've got every right

To a beautiful life

C'mon

Who says

Who says you're not perfect

Who says you're not worth it

Who says you're the only one that's hurting

Trust me

That's the price of beauty

Who says you're not pretty

Who says you're not beautiful

Who says

Who says

Who says you're not star potential

Who says you're not presidential

Who says you can't be in movies

Listen to me, listen to me

Who says you don't pass the test

Who says you can't be the best

Who said, who said

Would you tell me who said that

Yeah, oh

Who says

 _ **Who says**_

 _ **Who says you're not perfect**_

 _ **Who says you're not worth it**_

 _ **Who says you're the only one that's hurting**_

 _ **Trust me**_

 _ **That's the price of beauty**_

 _ **Who says you're not pretty**_

 _ **Who says you're not beautiful**_

 _ **Who says**_

 _ **Who says**_

 _ **Who says you're not perfect**_

 _ **Who says you're not worth it**_

 _ **Who says you're the only one that's hurting**_

 _ **Trust me**_

 _ **That's the price of beauty**_

 _ **Who says you're not pretty**_

 _ **Who says you're not beautiful**_

 _ **Who says**_

I go over to the camera and turn it off. Smiling as we post the video to our youtube channel.

(Next Day)

School is exceedingly normal for us. We talk with our friends Percy Jackson, Jason Grace (Thalia's twin brother), Nico Di Angelo (Hazel's half brother), and Frank Zhang, and try to avoid the glares and the bullies. Lunchtime however, is the worst part of the day. This lunch was no exception. All of a sudden, Drew Tanaka wobbles over to our table with her lunch tray, followed by the popular girls. And I say wobbles because she is wearing 7 inch stilettoes. We continue our conversation, until I feel something slimy dripping down my back. Drew had thrown her lunch at me. With a glance over at my friends, I knew what we had to do. We ran out of the school, and for once, we didn't look back.

(1 year later)

Piper, Thalia, Hazel, and I became the most popular things in music. While at school, we were the nerds, in Hollywood, we were the Sirens, an inseparable band that burst onto the scene last year. We were all called to a meeting with Apollo, our manager.

"girls," he said, frowning. WAIT FROWNING! THIS ISNT GOOD!" you are to go back to school this year and get your diplomas."

"WHAT!? YOU WANT US TO GO BACK TO THAT GODSFORSAKEN PLACE" screeched Thals, Her spiked black hair flying as she shook her head furiously.

"your flight leaves tomorrow," he says, "so get packing!"

We stomp up the stairs, angrily packing up our stuff. I quietly sing to myself:

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na

Take a look around

Who would have thought we'd all be here?

So let's mess around

'Cause the future is unclear

 _We got nothin' better to do_

 _We're just tryin' to get through_

 _Can you hear me?_

 _Can you hear me? Yeah_

 _ **Let the music groove you**_

 _ **Let the melody move you**_

 _ **Feel the beat and just let go**_

 _ **Get the rhythm into your soul**_

 _ **Let the music take you**_

 _ **Anywhere it wants to**_

 _ **When we're stuck and can't get free**_

 _ **No matter what, we'll still be singing**_

 _ **Come on, come on, turn up the music**_

 _ **It's all we got, we're gonna use it**_

 _ **Come on, come on, turn up the music**_

 _ **Yeah**_

All we have is now

Let's make the most of this

Come on, break it out

So everyone can hear it

 **They don't have to understand**

 **But we'll make 'em if we can**

 **Do you hear me?**

 **Are you with me? Yeah**

 _ **Let the music groove you**_

 _ **Let the melody move you**_

 _ **Feel the beat and just let go**_

 _ **Get the rhythm into your soul**_

 _ **Let the music take you**_

 _ **Anywhere it wants to**_

 _ **When we're stuck and can't get free**_

 _ **No matter what, we'll still be singing**_

 _ **Come on, come on, turn up the music**_

 _ **It's all we got, we're gonna use it**_

 _ **Come on, come on, turn up the music**_

 _ **Yeah**_

 _ **Come on, come on, turn up the music**_

 _ **It's all we got, we're gonna use it**_

 _ **Come on, come on, turn up the music**_

 _ **Turn up the music**_

 _ **Let the music groove you**_

 _ **Let the melody move you**_

 _ **Feel the beat and just let go**_

 _ **Get the rhythm into your soul**_

 _ **Let the music take you**_

 _ **Anywhere it wants to**_

 _ **When we're stuck and can't get free**_

 _ **No matter what, we'll still be singing**_

 _ **Come on, come on, turn up the music**_

 _ **It's all we got, we're gonna use it**_

 _ **Feel the beat and just let go**_

 _ **Get the rhythm into your soul**_

 _ **Let the music take you**_

 _ **Anywhere it wants to**_

 _ **Come on, come on, turn up the music**_

 _ **Yeah**_

We finish our packing and go to sleep, ready for our new lives.

 _ **i**_


	2. Loving Can (and will) Hurt You

Chapter 2: We're back and better than ever!

Annabeth's POV

*one week after the announcement*

At 5 AM, our alarm clocks wake us up. It's the first day back in hell, or Goode High School. I ran downstairs and ate Hazel's French toast. After breakfast, we went to get dressed in separate rooms to surprise each other with our outfit choices. I walk into the lounge after everyone else. Piper is laying across the couch, wearing some denim shorts, a flowy tank top, brown ankle boots, a floppy hat, and a cardigan. Thals sits atop the coffee table, wearing her ripped jeans, leather jacket, black knee high combat boots, and her trademark death to Barbie t shirt. Closest to me is Hazel, wearing skinny jeans and a white blouse, along with some black flats. I glance back down at my outfit, a simple white sundress and silver sandals.

"okay," says Thalia, her electric blue eyes blazing with fury," how are we going to do this?"

"do what?" says Hazel.

"Revenge, Haze. We are going to get those kids who bullied us." Thalia says plainly.

"WHAT?" screams Piper, her ever-changing eyes wide with fear. "That's insane Thalia!"

"Yeah, Thals. We're famous now! Paparazzi follow us everywhere! Kids look up to us! We can't set a bad example." I say as we get in the car with Argus, our driver.

Our car ride was fun. I had almost forgotten what it was like to be just a normal girl, taking on the world with my best friends. Back when we were just singing for fun, not money. All of a sudden, one of our favorite songs came on:

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Hazel, "Thalia" ,** _ **All**_ )

When tomorrow comes

I'll be on my own

Feeling frightened of

The things that I don't know

 _When tomorrow comes_

 **Tomorrow comes**

" **Tomorrow comes"**

 _And though the road is long_

 _I look up to the sky_

 _And In the dark I found, I stop and I won't fly_

And I sing along, **I sing along** , _**then I sing along**_

 _ **I got all I need when I got you and I**_

 _ **I look around me, and see sweet life**_

 _ **I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight**_

 _ **You're gettin' me, gettin' me through the night**_

 _ **Can't stop my heart when you shinin' in my eyes**_

 _ **I can't lie, it's a sweet life**_

 _ **I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight**_

 _ **You're gettin' me, gettin' me through the night**_

 _ **Cause you're my flash light**_

 _ **You're my flash light, you're my flash light**_

 **I see the shadows long beneath the mountain top**

 **I'm not the afraid when the rain won't stop**

 **Cause you light the way**

 **You light the way, you light the way**

 _ **I got all I need when I got you and I**_

 _ **I look around me, and see sweet life**_

 _ **I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight**_

 _ **You're gettin' me, gettin' me through the night**_

 _ **Can't stop my heart when you shinin' in my eyes**_

 _ **Can't lie, it's a sweet life**_

 _ **I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight**_

 _ **You're gettin' me, gettin' me through the night**_

" **Cause you're my flash light**

 **You're my flash light light light,**

 **You're my flash light light light**

 **You're my flash light** " (light light light light ohhh)

" **I got all I need when I got you and I**

 **I look around me, and see sweet life**

 **I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight**

 **You're gettin' me, gettin' me through the night**

 **Can't stop my heart when you shinin' in my eyes"** ( _shinin in my eyes_ )

" **Can't lie, it's a sweet life"**

" **I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight"** ( **you're my flashlight** )

" **You're gettin' me, gettin' me through the night"**

 _ **Cause you're my flash light**_

 _ **You're my flash light, you're my flash light**_

 _ **You're my flash light light light**_

 _ **You're my flash light light light**_

 _ **You're my flashlight**_

By this time we've arrived at the school. We hop out of the car and Argus throws us our bags. Piper catches her brown leather satchel with ease as Hazel leaps into the air to catch her purple backpack. Meanwhile, Thalia rolls into the ground to catch her black and blue back pack by its one strap.

"Hey guys, let me show you how it's done!" I yell, rolling my eyes.

With that, I drop into a split, catching my grey messenger bag and slipping it over my right shoulder. As I get up, I notice everyone staring over at us. _So much for being unnoticed_. A loud shrill scream hit my eardrums, and with a glance towards my bandmates, we sprint towards the doors, avoiding the onslaught of our former bullies and biggest fans. We stepped into the bathrooms, where we waited for the mob to pass.

"Look guys," I say, sighing." I know this isn't ideal,"

"YA THINK!" interrupts Thalia.

"but guys, we still have each other. We have to stick together. "says Piper.

Hazel just opens her mouth and begins to sing.

 **I've got my ticket for the long way 'round**

 _Two bottle whiskey for the way_

And I sure would like some sweet company

" **And I'm leaving tomorrow. What d'you say?"**

 _ **When I'm gone, when I'm gone**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me when I'm gone**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me by my hair**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me when I'm gone**_

 _ **When I'm gone, when I'm gone**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me when I'm gone**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me by my walk**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me when I'm gone**_

I've got my ticket for the long way 'round

The one with the prettiest of views

 **It's got mountains, it's got rivers**

 _It's got sights to give you shivers_

" **But it sure would be prettier with you"**

 _ **When I'm gone, when I'm gone**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me when I'm gone**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me by my walk**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me when I'm gone**_

 _ **When I'm gone, when I'm gone**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me when I'm gone**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me by my hair**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh**_

 _ **You're sure gonna miss me when I'm gone**_

 _ **When I'm gone, when I'm gone**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me when I'm gone**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me by my walk**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh**_

 _ **You're gonna miss me when I'm gone**_

With that, we get out of the bathroom and head to the office to get our schedules.

*five minutes later*

With our schedules in hand, we wait outside the office for our tour guides. The only people we see coming down the hallway are our former best friends. They stop in front of us.

'Hey girls," says Percy, staring deeply at a piece of paper while his friends focus on each other instead of us. "I'm Percy, that's Nico, Frank, and Jas-"he looks up, realizing who we are. "Guys! Look who came back!" he shouts, drawing his friends out of their conversation. We were engulfed in hugs, and we quickly ran off to find our new classes. (A/N: I'm gonna skip classes since I don't feel like having to put in schedules. Ok? GG over and out)

*Lunch time*

"so," asked Thalia, eyes darting around the cafeteria "you guys dating anyone?"

A guilty look flashes on each boy's face. This isn't a good sign.

The popular girls wobble over. I glance at Hazel, Piper, and Thalia. We all share a look that seems to say _well, they haven't changed a bit_.

"Hey Babe" says Rachel Elizabeth Dare, her fried red hair smacking me in the face as she goes to kiss Percy. _Wait a second… KISS PERCY! WHAT THE HADES?_ Looking over to my bandmates, I saw similar expressions of horror as they watched Reyna Ramirez-Arellano make out with Jason, Khione Thompson sit on Nico's lap, and Drew Tanaka about to kiss Frank. We looked at each other.

"what are you nerds doing in our seats?" sneered Drew.

 _Oh Hades no, lets get out of here before we do something we might regret,_ my expression says.

With a couple of nods, we sneak out to the music room. That's where we sat, crying for the rest of lunch. You see, we were each crushing on one of the guys. Piper had fallen _hard_ for Jason in freshman year, Thalia and I had fallen for Nico and Percy in 6th grade, and poor Hazel has been crushing on Frank since _kindergarten_.

Piper opened her mouth and began to sing softly

 _I heard that you're settled down_

 _That you found a girl and you're married now._

 _I heard that your dreams came true._

 _Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you._

" **Old friend, why are you so shy?"**

" **Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light."**

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited

But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.

I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded

That for me it isn't over.

 _ **Never mind, I'll find someone like you**_

 _ **I wish nothing but the best for you too**_

 _ **Don't forget me, I beg**_

 _ **I'll remember you said,**_

 _ **"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,**_

 _ **Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead"**_

 **You know how the time flies**

 **Only yesterday was the time of our lives**

 **We were born and raised**

 **In a summer haze**

 **Bound by the surprise of our glory days**

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited

But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.

I'd hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded

That for me it isn't over.

 _ **Never mind, I'll find someone like you**_

 _ **I wish nothing but the best for you too**_

 _ **Don't forget me, I beg**_

 _ **I'll remember you said,**_

 _ **"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."**_

" **Nothing compares"**

" **No worries or cares"**

" **Regrets and mistakes"**

" **They are memories made."**

" **Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?"**

 _ **Never mind, I'll find someone like you**_

 _ **I wish nothing but the best for you**_

 _ **Don't forget me, I beg**_

 _ **I'll remember you said,**_

 _ **"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead".**_

 _ **Never mind, I'll find someone like you**_

 _ **I wish nothing but the best for you too**_

 _ **Don't forget me, I beg**_

 _ **I'll remember you said,**_

 _ **"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,**_

 _ **Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.**_

*timeskip to end of the day*

We piled into Argus's car, ready to go home. Once inside, Thalia grabs her songwriting notebook and starts furiously writing lyrics. Ten minutes later, she shows us what she's written about today.

Only when I stop to think about it

I hate everything about you

Why do I love you

I hate everything about you

Why do I love you

Only when I stop to think

About you, I know

Only when you stop to think

About me, do you know

I hate everything about you

Why do I love you

You hate everything about me

Why do you love me

I hate

You hate

I hate

You love me

I hate everything about you

Why do I love you

We truly are angry at the boys for dating our worst enemies. Typically on tour we would have a movie night when one of us was angry, so Hazel made popcorn, and I put _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_ in the DVD player. We stayed up late that night plotting and sobbing and working on our new album, while the world of Harry Potter lulled us to sleep.

(A/N: sorry for the wait, I got super busy. And I know that Nico isn't straight, but it's all part of Nico and Thalia's character development. Just bear with me here. GG over and out.)


	3. Stop Trying to Bring Us Down

Annabeth's Pov

After the others fell asleep, I whipped out my phone and dialed a number.

"Hi Annie, what's up?" says a groggy voice.

"Hey, can you bring your girlfriend out here till June?" I ask.

"Why?" Asked the voice.

"The Sirens need a little style help." I said with a smirk.

"Okay then. Yeah, we'll be out by morning"

"Thanks Beck, I owe you one. Bye!" I say, closing my eyes. .

(Next Morning)

"AAAAHHH" I shout, waking to see Silena Beauregard standing over my bed. The others wake up at my scream and leap out of bed to attack Silena with hugs.

"Where's Beckendorf?" Hazel asks quietly.

"setting up the guest rooms!" Silena chirps softly. "Now let's get started!"

(1 hour later)

I looked in the mirror with my friends. We looked _good._ It was all part of our plan to subtly get revenge. We wanted to show our former classmates who we really were, to make them feel bad for how they treated us. Thalia looked like the scary punk rocker badass we all knew she was. Her dark hair was spiked and filled with bright streaks, and her dark makeup made her electric blue eyes even more unnerving. Her outfit was ripped black jeans with safety pins holding them together, a blood red tank top that had a picture of a grinning skull on it, and a leather jacket covered in patches. To top it all off, she had her black converse that were covered in what looked to be blood, but she swears it's red paint. Hazel looked sweet, almost too sweet, clearly going for the guilt trip of our group. She was wearing a flowy yellow sundress with some white ballet flats, causing her to look even younger and more innocent than normal. Her eyes were done in a gold shade that made her eyes look almost Tim Burton like, far too big for her face. Her cinnamon colored curls were pinned up in a messy bun atop her head. Piper had a kind of effortlessly gorgeous aura, like she could just wake up in the morning and steal your boyfriend or girlfriend without even trying. She had her chestnut brown hair curled slightly, so it looked natural. Her eyes were rimmed in an earthy brown tone that meshed with her tanned skin and went with every color of her eyes. She wore a flowy cropped tank top, and a black skirt. She topped off the look with black vans and a pale blue flower crown. I tried to dress girly, yet slightly nerdy, to remind people that we still are those girls who got laughed out of school. I wore a beige cardigan and a white and pink sundress. On my feet were my old gray converse, the pair I'd worn the day we left. The back of the shoes still had faint stains on them from Drew's lunch. Silena had curled my hair, leaving it in waves down to my elbows. My bangs were pinned back with a gray bow. We grabbed our stuff and headed for the car.

"Ok guys, how about we perform this song today?" I said, flipping to the breakup song section of my songbook. We had asked to perform at the assembly today as part of our plan.

"Sounds good," says Thalia, with a troublemaking smirk plastered on her face.

(Assembly Time)

"Please Welcome the Sirens!" said Principal Brunner.

We stepped onstage to the sound of cheers. Once we were in position, Thalia taps her sticks.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Hazel** , "Thalia", _**all**_ )

Here's the thing

We started out friends

It was cool, but it was all pretend

Yeah, yeah

Since you been gone

 _You're dedicated, you took the time_

 _Wasn't long till I called you mine_

 _Yeah, yeah_

 _Since you been gone_

 **And all you'd ever hear me say**

 **Is how I picture me with you**

 **That's all you'd ever hear me say**

 _ **But since you been gone**_

 _ **I can breathe for the first time**_

 _ **I'm so moving on**_

 _ **Yeah, yeah**_

 _ **Thanks to you**_

 _ **Now I get what I want**_

 _ **Since you been gone**_

How can I put it? You put me on

I even fell for that stupid love song

Yeah, yeah

Since you been gone

 _How come I've never heard you say_

 _I just want to be with you?_

 _Guess you never felt that way_

 _ **But since you been gone**_

 _ **I can breathe for the first time**_

 _ **I'm so moving on**_

 _ **Yeah, yeah**_

 _ **Thanks to you**_

 _ **Now I get what I want**_

 _ **Since you been gone**_

"You had your chance, you blew it"

 _Out of sight, out of mind_

"Shut your mouth, I just can't take it"

"Again **"** , **and again** , _and again,_ and again

 _ **Since you been gone (**_ "since you been gone" _ **)**_

 _ **I can breathe for the first time**_

 _ **I'm so moving on**_

 _ **Yeah, yeah**_

 _ **Thanks to you (thanks to you)**_

 _ **Now I get, I get what I want**_

 _ **I can breathe for the first time**_

 _ **I'm so moving on**_

 _ **Yeah, yeah**_

 _ **Thanks to you (**_ "thanks to you" _ **), now I get ("**_ I __get _ **")**_

 _ **You should know ("**_ you should __know" _ **)**_

 _ **That I get**_

"I get what I want"

 **Since you been gone**

 _Since you been gone_

Since you been gone

The applause was deafening. The guys had stunned looks on their faces. I assumed that they realized the song was about them. They just sat motionless, staring up at us in shock.

"For our last song, we dedicate this to you guys. Not the good friends of ours, but the people who humiliated us out of school. " Says Thalia, moving from behind her drum set to pull down the projection screen behind her. She grabs her laptop and sets it up to run on the projection screen. Meanwhile, Piper runs to turn off the lights. When they return, Hazel plays the keyboard intro. The projection screen begins a slideshow chronicling our years of suffering here.

 **Skies are crying**

 _I am watching_

"Catching teardrops in my hands"

Only silence, as it's ending, like we never had a chance

Do you have to, make me feel like there's nothing left of me?

 **You can take everything I have**

"You can break everything I am"

 _Like I'm made of glass_

Like I'm made of paper

 _ **Go on and try to tear me down**_

 _ **I will be rising from the ground**_

 _ **Like a skyscraper**_

 _ **Like a skyscraper**_

 _As the smoke clears_

 **I awaken, and untangle you from me**

"Would it make you, feel better to watch me while I bleed?"

All my windows, still are broken

But I'm standing on my feet

 **You can take everything I have**

"You can break everything I am"

 _Like I'm made of glass_

Like I'm made of paper

 _ **Go on and try to tear me down**_

 _ **I will be rising from the ground**_

 _ **Like a skyscraper**_

 _ **Like a skyscraper**_

 _ **Go run, run, run**_

"I'm gonna stay right here"

 **Watch you disappear, yeah**

 _ **Go run, run, run**_

 _Yeah it's a long way down_

But I am closer to the clouds up here

 **You can take everything I have**

"You can break everything I am"

 _Like I'm made of glass_

Like I'm made of paper, Ohhh woaah

 _ **Go on and try to tear me down**_

 _ **I will be rising from the ground**_

"Like a skyscraper"

 **Like a skyscraper**

 _Like a skyscraper_

Like a skyscraper

 _ **Like a skyscraper**_

The slideshow finishes with a picture of us at the end of our last tour. We sat in front of the Eiffel Tower with our arms around each other, laughing as we looked over the city.

"this was our story: we were just ordinary girls, bullied for doing something that the popular girls didn't like." says Piper quietly.

"You may think of us as idols, but the truth is, we are just like you." I say.

"if you are bullied, get help. If you bully, step back and think about what you are doing. Do you want the guilt of causing a classmate's death?" whispers Hazel, staring down at her feet.

"And for the love of all the gods, never just watch someone get bullied! Doing nothing is almost as bad as being the bully!" cries Thalia.

"Contrary to what you might think, I'm not a socially inept loser," I say.

"I'm not a homeless bum," says Piper sadly.

"I'm not a weak idiot," says Hazel timidly.

"I'm not a violent gang member." Says Thalia quietly.

"I am Annabeth" I state

"I am Piper"

"I am Hazel"

"I am Thalia"

"And I am unique" we say in unison.

We exit the stage, and head back to the car. Of course the guys are sitting there waiting for us.

"Oh. It's you. What do you want? Says Hazel coldly. Hazel is typically the sweetheart of the group, so when she's angry; you know you're screwed.

"we just want to talk" says Jason

"Talk! After all this time you want to _talk_? You could've called us last year if you wanted to talk!" shouts Piper, her kaleidoscopic eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Let's go girls. if you try to follow us, there'll be some serious pain" says Thalia plainly, as if she was saying the sky was blue.

Percy puts his hand on my shoulder as I turn to walk away. "Look Wise Girl-"he starts. With that I whirl around and flip him over my shoulder.

"Never. Call. Me. That. Again." I say. "Not now, Not ever. You lost that right in the cafeteria last year, idiot." I practically spit. I walk over to the car and hop in, to see the girls staring at me with expressions of awe. Not many girls can flip the swim team captain flat on his ass.

"Step on it Argus." I say angrily.

We peel away from the school excited to work on our songs.


	4. Is it too Late to Apologize?

Chapter 4

Percy's POV

I slowly get off the ground and stagger back over to the guys. Frank is staring after their car in absolute horror, Jason refuses to meet anyone's eyes, and Nico looks mildly impressed.

"well then," says Frank sadly.

"We've screwed up badly," says Jason.

"Ya think!" shouts Nico, his black eyes blazing with fury." I don't blame them for being pissed! We watched as they got tormented, we didn't even try to follow them when they ran out of the cafeteria in tears! And did we even try to contact them while they were gone? Then we started dating the girls who bullied them! You can't just expect them to be okay with this! We should be ashamed of ourselves." Nico finishes, as his eyes begin to fill with tears.

"Guys. I have a plan to fix this. But it will only work if we all do this together. Now who's in?" I say.

"I'm in" everyone says.

(meanwhile in the Siren's home)

Annabeth's Pov

We head into the practice room. Pulling out my songbook, we get to work.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Hazel** , Thalia, _**All**_ )

Someday I'll let you in

Treat you right

Drive you outta your mind

Oooh

 _You never met a chick like me_

 _Burn so bright_

 _I'm gonna make you blind_

 _Always want what you can't have_

Is it so bad if you don't get what you wanted

Make you feel good

 _As I whip you_

 **Into shape, ya boy**

Let's get it started!

 _ **Give it up**_

 _ **You can't win**_

 _ **Cause I know where you've been**_

 _ **Such a shame**_

 _ **You don't put up a fight**_

 _ **That's a game that we play**_

 _ **At the end of the night**_

 _ **It's the same old story**_

 _ **But you never get it right**_

 _ **Give it up**_

Come a little closer

Baby, baby

Come a little closer

 **Come a little closer**

 _Baby, baby_

So stop trying to walk away

No you won't ever leave me behind

 **(Noooo)**

 _You better believe that I'm here to stay_

 **(That's right)**

 _Cause you're the shade and I'm the sunshine_

 **(Ooooohh)**

Look at me boy

'Cause I got you

Where I want you

Isn't it so exciting?

Wanna shake you

Wanna break you

Take a backseat boy

Cause now I'm driving

Give it up

 _ **You can't win**_

 _ **Cause I know where you've been**_

 _ **Such a shame**_

 _ **You don't put up a fight**_

 _ **That's a game that we play**_

 _ **At the end of the night**_

 _ **It's the same old story**_

 _ **But you never get it right**_

 _ **Give it up**_

 **A oooh yeaaah**

 _Ah oooho heeey_

Hey yeah yeah yeaaaah

 _ **Come a little closer**_

 _ **Come a little closer**_

Baby, baby

 _ **Come a little closer**_

 _ **Come a little closer**_

 _Baby, baby_

 _ **Come a little closer**_

 _ **Come a little closer**_

 **Baby**

If you are my baby

Then I'll make you crazy tonight

Look at me boy

 _'Cause I got you_

 **Where I want you**

 _ **Isn't it so exciting?**_

Wanna shake you

When I break you

 _Take a backseat boy_

 **Cause now I'm driving**

 _ **Give it up**_

 _ **You can't win**_

 _ **Cause I know where you've been**_

 _ **Such a shame**_

 _ **You don't put up a fight**_

 _ **That's a game that we play**_

 _ **At the end of the night**_

 _ **It's the same old story**_

 _ **But you never get it right**_

 _ **Give it up**_

 _ **Ohhhh**_

 _ **YEAH!**_

"Great job!" Silena chirps. "Now we have to get your outfits together for tomorrow."

(time skip to next morning)

Silena has outdone herself yet again, I think as I sit with the girls in the backseat of our car. Silena went for a girlish look for all of us, yet our clothing reflects our personalities. Thalia is wearing a blue and black plaid skirt with rips and pins everywhere, a black tank top, and an unbuttoned blue and white flannel shirt that tied just above her skirt. Her feet were adorned in converse that we customized ourselves, covered in doodles and studs. Piper looks great as usual in a flowered dress that starts out lavender at the top and fades to sky blue at the bottom, paired with gladiator sandals. Hazel leans against the window, sleeping in her white and gold striped dress. I glance back down to my outfit, a simple sea green dress with a dark grey belt over it. On my feet were silver open toed heels which showed off my blue nail polish. We pulled up at the school and made our way to our first class, which happened to be music.

"Hey baby, my place at 9?" says one jock.

We say nothing, as we walk into our class. Unfortunately the guys happened to be there with us.

"Ok class, today we will be working in groups. You will present your songs at the end of class," Says the teacher. We automatically head over to the corner and start to talk.

"girls, how about this one?" I say.

"This is great! Let's do it!" says Piper.

 _ **La la la la la la la**_

 _ **La la la la la la la**_

Why am I always hit on by the boys I never like

I can always see 'em coming, from the left or from the right

 _I don't want to be a priss, I'm just try'na be polite_

 _But it always seems to bite me in the..._

 **Ask me for my number, yeah, you put me on the spot**

 **You think that we should hook up, but I think that we should not**

You had me at "Hello", then you opened up your mouth

And that is when it started going south

Oh!

 _ **Get your hands off my hips, 'fore I'll punch you in the lips**_

 _ **Stop your staring at my... Hey!**_

 _ **Take a hint, take a hint**_

 _ **No you can't buy me a drink, let me tell you what I think**_

 _ **I think you could use a mint**_

 _ **Take a hint, take a hint**_

 _ **La, la, la...**_

 _ **T-take a hint, take a hint**_

 _ **La, la, la...**_

I guess you still don't get it, so let's take it from the top

 _You asked me what my sign is, and I told you it was "Stop"_

 **And if I had a dime for every name that you just dropped**

You'd be here and I'd be on a yacht

Oh!

 _ **Get your hands off my hips, 'fore I'll punch you in the lips**_

 _ **Stop your staring at my... Hey!**_

 _ **Take a hint, take a hint**_

 _ **No you can't buy me a drink, let me tell you what I think**_

 _ **I think you could use a mint**_

 _ **Take a hint, take a hint**_

 _ **La, la, la...**_

 _ **T-take a hint, take a hint**_

 _ **La, la, la...**_

 _ **What about "No" don't you get?**_

 _ **So go and tell your friends**_

 _ **I'm not really interested**_

 _ **It's about time that you're leavin'**_

 _ **I'm gonna count to three and**_

 _ **Open my eyes and**_

 _ **You'll be gone**_

One

Get your hands off my...

Two.

 _Or I'll punch you in the..._

Three.

 **Stop your staring at my... Hey!**

Take a hint, take a hint

 _ **I am not your missing link**_

 _ **Let me tell you what I think**_

 _ **I think you could use a mint**_

 _ **Take a hint, take a hint**_

 _ **Take a hint, take a hint**_

 _ **Woah!**_

 _ **Get your hands off my hips, 'fore I'll punch you in the lips**_

 _ **Stop your staring at my... Hey!**_

 _ **Take a hint, take a hint**_

 _ **La, la, la...**_

 _ **T-take a hint, take a hint**_

 _ **La, la, la...**_

We look up from our playing and notice that the class has gone silent. Everyone is staring at us in shock. Then they applaud.

"that was amazing! Did you really just come up with that?" says the teacher.

"yeah, it was all Annie over here'" Thalia says, as I glare at her.

And with that, the bell rings.

"Class dismissed" shouts the teacher.

(Skip to Lunch)

"YOU'RE WHAT?" shriek the popular girls, drawing all eyes toward them.

"Um, we appear to be dumping you." Says Percy shyly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

With that, the boys walk toward us.

"Hey. We feel really bad for how we treated you girls. Can you ever forgive us?" says Nico.

We huddle into what Thalia likes to call the "Siren Square", a huddle where instead of a circle, we form a near perfect square. After a couple nods and eye rolls, I step forward.

"You are forgiven." I say.

"So, how'd you girls become famous?" asks Jason.

"Well," says Hazel, gesturing to me." One day, we were at Piper's house, and Blondie over there started singing along to the radio."

"By the end we were all singing along." Says Piper.

(Italics= Flashbacks)

" _Wow girls, that was awesome! If you ever wanna become famous, come talk to me," Says Piper's father, Tristan McLean._

" _Can any of you play any instruments?" says Thalia._

" _Guitar" says Piper_

" _Piano" whispers Hazel_

" _And I play the drums," Says Thalia._

" _Since I play the violin, I could be lead singer," I offer._

" _What will we call ourselves?" asks Hazel shyly._

" _How about The Sirens? In Greek Mythology, they lured people to their deaths with their beautiful music," suggests Thalia_

" _The Sirens, I like the sound of that" I say._

" _Huddle up girls" says Piper._

" _Are we in?" asks Hazel._

" _Let's try writing a song and filming our performance. If we get a good response, we should do it." I suggest._

"The next week, we posted _Who Says_."Says Thalia.

"I've never seen that, "says Nico.

I pull out my phone and show him our first song.

"The next day was the lunch incident." Says Hazel.

"when we got back home, our video had 8000 views and hundreds of positive comments. We called up Mr. McLean and took the offer." Says Thalia

"And the rest is history." I say.

While we were telling the story, I didn't notice the popular girls walking up to us, holding 4 microphones.

" hey losers, since you caused our boyfriends to dump us, we're like, gonna challenge you to a sing off. Winners get these 4 guys over here," sneers Rachel.

"In the middle of lunch?" I complain, getting up and grabbing the microphones.

"YO! Drew, Rachel, Reyna, and Khione challenged us to a sing off! As our audience, we want you to decide based on your applause at the end," shouts Thalia, effectively silencing the cafeteria.

Percy grabs my arm, turning me around.

"Hey, be careful, these girls are smarter than they act. I don't want you getting hurt," he whispers in my ear. As I'm about to turn around, he places a kiss on my forehead. I hear loud wolf whistles from behind me. My face heats up with what I know to be a blush. I look up at Percy, and he's turning firetruck red.

"Nice job Kelp Head, I didn't know you had it in you," Thalia says.

"Oh come on, is there no privacy?" he complains angrily.

As I walk toward the Siren huddle, the girls give me approving smirks and high fives.

"What song are we doing?" whispers Hazel.

"How about _Fireflies_?" says Piper quietly.

"Are you sure, I mean it's just my writing, it hasn't been tampered with yet?" I ask.

"Annie, that song is amazing, even without our input," says Thalia.

"Let's do it," I say confidently.

With that, we begin to sway back and forth in the huddle, chanting "we are the sirens" over and over again, louder and louder until we are shouting it.

"READY! BREAK!" shouts Thalia.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel, _**All**_ )

You would not believe your eyes

If ten million fireflies

Lit up the world as I fell asleep

 _'Cause they fill the open air_

 _And leave teardrops everywhere_

 _You'd think me rude but I would just stand and stare_

 _(_ Annabeth, _Piper)_

I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs

From ten thousand lightning bugs

As they tried to teach me how to dance

 **A foxtrot above my head**

 **A sock hop beneath my bed**

 **A disco ball is just hanging by a thread (thread, thread)**

 _ **I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly**_

 _ **It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep**_

 _ **'Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep)**_

Leave my door open just a crack

 **Please take me away from here**

'Cause I feel like such an insomniac

 **Please take me away from here**

Why do I tire of counting sheep

 **Please take me away from here**

When I'm far too tired to fall asleep

 _To ten million fireflies_

 _I'm weird cause I hate goodbyes_

 _I got misty eyes as they said farewell (_ said farewell _)_

But I'll know where several are

If my dreams get real bizarre

'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar ( **jar, jar** )

 _ **I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly**_

 _ **It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep**_

 _ **'Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep)**_

 _ **I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly**_

 _ **It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep**_

 _ **'Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep)**_

We passed the mics over to the popular girls, quickly running over to the boys and being engulfed in hugs. Percy and I snuck away from our friends into the hallway.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks.

"yeah, I'm fine" I reply, noticing that Percy looks uncharacteristically nervous.

"good, because I wanted to give you something." And with that, he kissed me, and I forgot what everything was. As he pulls away 5 minutes later, I notice a small window to my right, pointing into the cafeteria, right at the shocked faces of Thalia and Jason.

"Shit," I whisper.

"What's wrong? Was I a bad kisser or something?" says Percy, panicking.

"No," I say pointing his head toward the window.

"Dammit! Run before they get the rest of our friends out here!" he says, grabbing my hand and pulling me down the hallway.

We hide in Percy's stepdad's room, because he happens to be an English teacher here.

"Annabeth, I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me this weekend." Percy stammers nervously.

"Of course, Seaweed Brain, I'd love to!" I say, taking his hand and running back to the cafeteria.

"Hey guys! You got back just in tim- Whoa what happened to you?" asks Frank.

I look back up at Percy, and notice that his hair is even more messed up than normal, his lips are swollen and bruised, and his clothing is rumpled. I'm sure that I look equally as bad, if not worse. Our friends stare at us confused about our appearance.

"Nothing," I squeak, as Jason falls to the ground laughing.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's nothing," Thalia snickers, making a kissy face.

I lunge at her, but a pair of strong arms picks me up. _Percy,_ I register.

"Don't hurt her, Wise Girl; we can't have you going to prison before our date right?" Percy whispers.

Evidently, Percy sucks at whispering, because Piper shrieks, "YOU GUYS ARE GOING ON A DATE?"

Everyone in the cafeteria turns to stare at us, even the popular girls look up from their huddle in shock. I give Percy a look that says _Nice job Seaweed Brain, you sold us out_ , and roll my eyes. Percy quickly puts me down and turns to the popular girls, who are announcing their song choice. I don't have to look at him to know that both of us are fiercely blushing.

"We have decided to perform _Thinking Out Loud_ ," Drew says in her shrill, snotty voice.

(Drew, _Khione_ , **Reyna** , Rachel, _**all**_ )

When your legs don't work like they used to before

 **And I can't sweep you off of your feet**

Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?

 _Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?_

I mean this in the nicest way possible, but they sounded HORRIBLE.

 **And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70**

And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23

 _And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_

Maybe just the touch of a hand

 _ **Well, me—I fall in love with you every single day**_

 _ **And I just wanna tell you I am**_

 _ **So, honey, now**_

 _ **Take me into your loving arms**_

 _ **Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars**_

 _ **Place your head on my beating heart**_

 _ **I'm thinking out loud**_

 _ **Maybe we found love right where we are**_

When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades

 _And the crowds don't remember my name_

When my hands don't play the strings the same way (mmm...)

 **I know you will still love me the same**

'Cause, honey, your soul could never grow old, it's evergreen

 **And, baby, your smile's forever in my mind and memory**

 _I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_

Maybe it's all part of a plan

 _ **Well, I'll just keep on making the same mistakes**_

 _ **Hoping that you'll understand**_

 _ **That, baby, now**_

 _ **Take me into your loving arms**_

 _ **Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars**_

 _ **Place your head on my beating heart**_

 _ **Thinking out loud**_

 _ **Maybe we found love right where we are (oh, oh)**_

 _ **La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, lo-ud**_

 _ **So, baby, now**_

 _ **Take me into your loving arms**_

 _ **Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars**_

 _ **Oh, darling, place your head on my beating heart**_

 _ **I'm thinking out loud**_

 _ **But maybe we found love right where we are**_

 _ **Oh, baby, we found love right where we are**_

 _ **And we found love right where we are**_

The rest of the students sit in horrified silence, before Hazel leaps onto a table and says," Who votes for the Popular Girls?" the room is silent, with the exception of the popular table. "And who votes for the Sirens?" she asks. The applause is deafening. I vaguely remember cheering before Percy lifts me up and twirls me around as I giggle. When he puts me down, we walk over to our friends, still holding hands.

"So how's the happy couple?" Thalia says as Percy takes the seat to my right.

I groan and bury my head in the crook of Percy's neck. He automatically puts his arm around me. I faintly hear Piper coo, but I'm too embarrassed to care.

"How much did you guys see?" he asks.

Thalia and Jason share a glance before replying "Everything."

Percy groans and covers his face with his free hand.

"Did you tell them yet?" he asks, gesturing to the faces of our confused friends.

"Tell us what?" Nico asks slowly.

"Well," Thalia starts.

"After the girls performed, Thalia and I saw Percy and Annabeth sneaking out of the cafeteria. Thalia noticed a window pointing into the hallway they stopped in so we snuck up to it to watch them," said Jason.

"When we got there, we saw Kelp Head making out with Annie!" cries Thalia.

Everyone turns to stare at our quickly reddening faces. Percy just slams his head down on the table repeatedly and groans, making the trays jump. I roll my eyes and glare at everyone, effectively quieting their giggles.

"I'm gonna get Perce out of here before he gives himself a concussion," I say as I grab our backpacks.

"No detours you two!" shouts Nico. I run over and smack the back of his head, slamming his face into his cheeseburger.

Percy and I walk away, trying to ignore the whispers and gossip that will surely start.

(time skip to the end of the day.)

We walk out of the school together, talking about the Halloween Dance this Friday. Argus pulls up to the building and we hug the boys' goodby. Percy drops a kiss on my cheek and pulls away before our friends can notice. I hop in the car, steeling myself for the interrogation that will follow the Cafeteria incident.

 **(So you finally got your Percabeth Chapter. The ending probably sucks, but I gave you three kisses, so be lenient. Sorry for the long wait. I'm in public school, and got super busy with homework and after school activities. Send suggestions for how you want Jasper and Frazel to get together. Also, this story can go two different ways, depending on if you want Thalico or Solangelo. Please send suggestions for that as well. GG over and out.)**

 **(A/N 4-3-16: PLEASE SEND SUGGESTIONS, I ONLY GOT ONE JASPER/ FRAZEL ONE, AND ITS A REALLY CUTE IDEA, BUT I WOULD LIKE MORE THAN JUST THAN THE TWO OF US TO DECIDE THE PLOT OF THIS STORY. I'M REALLY TRYING TO DO THIS, BUT EVEN I HAVE MY LIMITS! I mean, I'm only one person, I really can't do this whole story without suggestions. To the people that reviewed with Solangelo vs Thalico, thanks. As of right now, Thalico is most likely gonna happen, as they got 2 votes, while Solangelo got zero. I mean, it's not much, but you guys are making yourselves heard, so good job. In order to encourage you guys to vote, I'm just gonna mention my ideas for the Solangelo vs Thalico war, so you can vote on which one fits with the story better.**

 **For Solangelo, I'm thinking of doing a thing where Maria Di Angelo is homophobic, since she was alive during WWII in canon, and Nico asks Thalia to be his fake girlfriend as a cover for his relationship with the teenaged nurse's aide, Will Solace. Eventually everyone finds out, and shit hits the fan, causing Thalia to join her older half sister, Artemis's all girl club, which swears off men. Pros: get some Solangelo and some hunter action. Cons: has some Thalico involved to cover up Solangelo and Nico having to find a new place to live.**

 **For Thalico, I'm thinking about Thalia's ex boyfriend, Luke Castellan, who cheated on her with some Hollywood starlet, coming to her school to get her back. Nico tries to help Thalia get rid of Luke, and they end up fake dating to stop him from trying to get back together with her. Pros: some cutesy Thuke flashbacks and cute Thalico moments. Cons: Luke hating, possibility of Thalia/Luke/Nico love triangle that could lead to a whole lot of other random crap.**

 **sorry for the long Author's note, but this is important. GG over and out.)**


	5. We're Like Shooting Stars

Chapter 5

Annabeth's POV

After Argus pulled out of the parking lot, we sped towards the mansion in silence. As we were walking in, Thalia speaks up.

"Since we don't have much homework, how abut we call the guys over and do a special guest video for the channel?" she asks, talking about the YouTube channel where we posted our first song and still post weekly videos.

"Sure, I'll call them, "I say.

"You sure you don't wanna talk to your new boyfriend Annie?" Piper teases, opening the door.

"Oh my gods Piper this was all Thals! Inviting them over was her idea!" I shout.

I called them up, and they came over with pizza and soda, and according to Jason, a surprise for Piper should be on its way here.

"ok guys, we've invited you over for a game of truth or d-" Thalia says before she gets cut off by the doorbell. Piper gets up to get the door, and Percy and I share a nervous glance. _TRUTH OR DARE? SHE WANTS TO VIDEOTAPE US PLAYING TRUTH OR DARE AND HUMILIATE US INTO NEXT CENTURY?_

"Perce, Annie, I love you guys, but can you stop with the mind reading thing? It's kind of creepy," says Jason, just as Piper drags a Hispanic boy into the room. I can't see his face through his comically oversized sunglasses, but the crazy curls and pointed ears remind me of the lost person in our group, Leo Valdez. _Impossible, it can't be Leo. Leo disappeared in that fire that killed his family the weekend before we left school. Leo's legally declared dead. It can't be him, this isn't possible._ I think, just as he pulls down his glasses.

"Miss me, chicas?" Leo says.

"Oh my gods Leo, it's really you!" says Hazel, tackling him with a hug.

"what the hell happened to you?" asks Thalia bluntly.

"After the fire, I ran off to Texas, where I lived in a warehouse for a year, and worked until I had enough money to buy a bus ticket up here to surprise you. Apparently, my older half-brother lives here, and I'm to live with him until I turn 18. His name's Charlie Beckendorf or something like that,"

"Beck's your brother?" Thalia shouts as Beckendorf comes down the stairs.

"I heard my name, what did you want Thals?" he says, peeking into the room.

"Are you Charlie Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus and Mary Beckendorf?" Leo asks.

"Yeah, why do you ask, man?" Beck says.

"I'm your younger half-brother, Leo. Dad and my mother died in a fire last November. I'm supposed to live with you until I turn 18 in 2 years." Leo says sadly.

"Okay, pick out an empty room upstairs, and welcome to the Siren's home I guess" Beck answers, turning to go back upstairs.

"I'm living here?" Leo asks. We nod quickly, and Thalia turns on the camera.

"And we're on in 3, 2, 1" says Hazel.

"Hey guys! I'm Thalia"

"Piper"

"Hazel"

"And I'm Annabeth. We are the Sirens," I say, nudging Thalia to introduce the guys.

"Okay. The blond dude is my twin brother, Jason. Chinese-Canadian baby man is Frank, Mr. Dark and Gloom is Nico, and green eyes over there is Annabeth's boyfriend, Percy."

"Not dating, Thals!" we say as Leo grabs the camera.

"And I am the supersized mcshizzle, Leo." He says, trying to keep the camera away from Thalia.

"and we are here to play truth or dare!" says Thalia, wrestling the camera from Leo and placing it back on its tripod.

We form a semi-circle around the camera, so all of our faces are in view.

"I'll ask first. Truth or dare Annie?" says Thalia, smirking.

"Dare."

"I dare you and Kelp Head to explain the cafeteria incident to our lovely viewers."

"why am I getting dragged into this?" groans Percy, burying his head in his hands. Thalia zooms in on us, smirking the whole time.

"If you won't, Jase and I will," says Thalia, smiling evilly.

"okay viewers. So a group of girls challenged us to a sing off, and the winner got these guys over here," she says, gesturing to all of the guys except Leo." While we were getting good lucks and stuff, Percy _kissed Annabeth's forehead_!" Thalia zooms in on Percy, who's quickly turning bright red. I squeeze his hand until he looks over at me, smiling slightly in spite of his obvious embarrassment. Piper coos yet again.

"after the girls performed, Thals and I saw the two sneak out into a hallway, so we decided to spy on them. By the time we got to a place where we could safely spy, they were _making out_ ," Says Jason.

"ooh, don't forget the date this weekend!" shrieks Piper.

"So, can we get on with the game, or…" asks Nico.

"Truth or dare Pipes?" I ask.

"Dare" she replies.

"I dare you to…" I say.

The rest of the game goes on like this, until we have 20 minutes of humiliating footage.

(Time skip to next Friday.)

I smooth out the silky material of my costume nervously as the girls and I look over our song list for our guest performance. We only have to perform one song in these outfits and thin we can wear our actual costumes. _Ah ha, perfect_ , I think, circling the song we are going to perform.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Hazel** , "Thalia", _**all**_ )

I'm a princess cut from marble, smoother than a storm

 **And the scars that mark my body, they're silver and gold**

"My blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones"

 _It keeps my veins hot, the fires find a home in me_

I move through town, **I'm quiet like a fire**

 _And my necklace is of rope_ , "I tie it and untie it"

 _And our people talk to me_ , but nothing ever hits

 **So people talk to me** , "and all the voices just burn holes"

 _ **I'm going in**_ (ooh)

 _ **This is the start of how it all ever ends**_

 _ **They used to shout my name, now they whisper it**_

 _ **I'm speeding up and this is the**_

 _ **Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart**_

 _ **We rip the start, the colors disappear**_

 _ **I never watch the stars there's so much down here**_

 _ **So I just try to keep up with them**_

 _ **Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart**_

 _ **I dream all year, but they're not the same kinds**_

 _ **And the shivers move down my shoulder blades in double time**_

And now people talk to me I'm slipping out of reach now

 _People talk to me, and all their faces blur_

 **But I got my fingers laced together and I made a little prison**

"And I'm locking up everyone that ever laid a finger on me"

 _ **I'm going in**_ (ooh)

 _ **This is the start of how it all ever ends**_

 _ **They used to shout my name, now they whisper it**_

 _ **I'm speeding up and this is the**_

 _ **Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart**_

 _ **We rip the start, the colors disappear**_

 _ **I never watch the stars there's so much down here**_

 _ **So I just try to keep up with them**_

 _ **Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart**_

 _ **And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat**_

 _ **Sparking up my heart**_

 _ **And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat-beat-beat-beat**_

"We are the Sirens! Thanks for coming out!" says Thalia, shouting to be heard over the deafening applause.

We turn and go backstage to change into our actual costumes and rejoin our friends. I wait outside the bathroom to see how my friends look in their costumes, since we decided to surprise everyone with our costume choices. Since Hazel comes out first, I glance over her costume. Hazel looks absolutely adorable in her Minnie Mouse outfit, with her curls pinned in two identical buns with a red and white dotted bow resting between them. Her dress matched her bow, and she donned a pair of yellow pumps with red bows on them. Next out was Thalia. She donned a Mockingjay costume, with her black combat boots, black bodysuit with armor over the vital areas, a pin, and of course a bow and quiver. The mockingjay pin was a gift from the director of the film, since we created the song playing during the credits. Finally, out came Piper. She was wearing what appears to be a Catwoman costume, complete with a mask, ears, and thigh high boots.

"What are you supposed to be Annie?" says Thalia, sliding her bow onto her shoulder.

"Hermione Granger," I say, adjusting my tie and robe.

We walk out into the gym, meeting the boys. Apparently, Percy's in a Harry Potter costume. Oh Gods, this is adding more fuel to the dating rumors, isn't it? I don't even have to look at Thalia to know that she has a smug smirk on her face.

"You sure you didn't do a couple's costume guys?" says Thalia, eyes darting between Percy and I.

"oh no Thals. You've figured out our master plan. We did do a couples costume," I deadpan, rolling my eyes.

"You know everyone thinks we're dating now, right?" I whisper in Percy's ear.

"I know. Wanna mess with everyone?" he says as I nod.

Since we happen to be near the stage, he bends down and kisses me. I smirk into the kiss, wrapping my arms around him as I hear every student gasp, and the dance comes to a complete halt. A loud scream from the popular girls finally breaks us apart.

"You guys are dating?" shouts a voice.

"Nice job Seaweed Brain! We agreed to keep this secret!" I shout, hitting Percy's arm and winking at him.

"Hey, on the bright side, at least I can make out with you in public," he says, smiling.

"You're such a dork Percy," I say, rolling my eyes in mock annoyance.

"Oh shut up Wise Girl. You know you love it," he replies.

"I do," and with that, I pull him in, where we stay making out until Thalia pulls us apart.

"Alright lovebirds, there'll be plenty of time for that later." She says.

"Hey Thals, Percy and I are gonna head out. See you at home!" I say, grabbing Percy's hand, and pulling him towards the exit.

"Use protection!" shouts Nico.

I wince as I hear the loud _THWACK_ sound that goes with a slap to the back of the head. I look back, and Nico's rubbing the back of his head and glaring at Piper. I look back up at Percy, who's face is red from blushing so hard, and he's biting his lips to avoid smiling or laughing. We get in the car, and just _lose it._ We're almost back at my place before we calm down.

"Hey, are you okay with grabbing a change of clothes? My mom's been dying to see you again, and I don't think we should go in these costumes," he says.

"Sure! I love Sally!" I say, grabbing a light grey sweater and leggings, instead of the pajamas I would have worn.

I toss Percy a bundle of clothing from the times the guys stayed over at our houses when we were young. He goes into the bathroom and comes out wearing a superman t-shirt of Jason's and a pair of Frank's old jeans. We head out, screaming out random song lyrics until we pull up to the Jackson home. Percy rings the bell, but nobody answers.

"Since nobody's here…" he mutters, pulling me in yet again.

I don't know how long we stayed there on Percy's front porch, but a loud cough broke us apart again. I groan and look over towards the noise. Standing at the bottom of the stairs was Sally and Paul. I shriek and fall off the porch railing, where I was sitting so I didn't have to stand on my tiptoes. Percy narrowly catches me, and kisses me again before finally looking up.

"Oh my gods! Mom, Paul, how much did you see?" he says, his eyes widening.

"We saw you making out, and we've been here since then" says Sally.

Percy blushes, and looks away, groaning.

"The one thing no mother should know is her son's love life," he mutters.

Sally unlocked the door, and Percy grabs my hand and pulls me into his room. I hear Sally say something, but I can't quite make out what she says. He closes the door behind him, smiling as he grabs something off his bed. Before I can react, he whacks me in the head with a pillow. With a loud shriek, I tackle him onto the bed, tickling him. I hear the door open, and I freeze. I look up and come face to face with Paul, who's holding a shopping bag. He takes one look at our position, tosses a box on top of Percy, and closes the door behind him. I take a closer look at the box, realizing it's a pack of condoms. I quickly get off of him, blushing.

"He thought we were gonna _do it_ , Percy! My English teacher thinks we're having sex," I say, pinching the bridge of my nose." He's never going to let me live this down! Our friends are going to have a field day!"

"Simple fix, Wise Girl, we just don't tell them!" he says.

"the rest of the band, Frank, and Nico are in that class with me, and you know Thalia is gonna tell Jason, and Jay's gonna tell Leo, and once that happens, the whole school will know about-" Percy cuts me off with a kiss.

"How about we postpone the date until it all blows over?" he says nervously, running his hand through his already messy hair. "I mean, I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend, but that can wait," he mutters.

"Well, I have a feeling that I wasn't supposed to hear that last part, but I'd love to be your girlfriend! The only problem is that we'd have to keep it secret. We can't have my boyfriend getting hounded by paparazzi can we?" I say hopefully.

"Wait, seriously? You'd say yes? Awesome! And for the secret dating thing, yeah I agree, it might not be safe to go public yet," he says, twirling me around in joy.

"Percy, Annabeth! Get out here! We need to talk!" says Sally.

I wink at Percy, and he seems to get the message. We mess up our hair, put his shirt on backwards and inside out, make our lips look bruised, and Percy tosses me an old shirt of his to put on. I take off the sweater I was wearing, and hurriedly throw on the shirt over my tank top. I slip my leggings off underneath, since the shirt covers my mid thighs. We walk out the door, and sit at the kitchen table with Sally and Paul.

"Now Percy, I know you turn 17 in 11 months, and you have urges now that you're getting older, but please, if you are going to sleep with someone, use protection!" says Paul.

"Bit too late for that, eh Wise Girl?" Percy says with a wink.

"Oh my gods Seaweed Brain! You can't just admit that to your parents!" I groan.

"Wait, you've done this before?" says Sally, looking back and forth between us, shocked.

Percy grabs my hand, winks at his mother and runs into his room. He tosses me my clothing, and I change in silence.

"C'mon Wise Girl, I'll drop you off," he says, grabbing his keys.

(time skip to Annabeth's return home)

I walk into the house, silently, praying that Hazel, Thalia, Piper, and Leo were asleep. Of course, with my luck, they were all awake, waiting in the living room.

"So Annie, you and Kelp Head were gone for a while," says Thalia, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"How did Sally and Mr. Blofis react to the date?" asks Piper.

"So what happened?" says Hazel.

I blush, recalling what happened tonight.

"She's blushing! Something embarrassing happened. What did you do?" Says Thalia.

"Sally and Paul caught Percy and I making out, and Paul now thinks that we're sleeping together." I groan.

Leo falls off the couch laughing. I had forgotten he was there.

"Dios mío! Really? Your English teacher thinks you're sleeping with his stepson?" Leo cries.

"Yep," I reply, quickly reciting the lie Percy and I came up with to excuse the cancellation of our date tomorrow, then heading up to my room.

I change into some pajamas, and go to sleep.

The next morning, I wake up to the sound of a notification on my phone. I quickly get dressed in a flowered sundress and sandals. I open the doors and relax on my balcony with _Jane Eyre_ and my phone. I'm about halfway through the book when my phone rings. _Persassy_ , it says, with a picture of my boyfriend sticking his tongue out, as part of an inside joke from sophomore year.

"Hey beautiful," he says when I pick up the phone.

"Hey Perce, what's up?" I answer.

"That's it? I called you beautiful, I'd at least expect similar treatment from my girlfriend!" he replies, laughing.

"I'm still at home, and I don't want to cause suspicion," I whisper.

"Wise Girl, can you climb down the tree by your balcony?" he asks.

I climb down, already expecting to see Percy down there.

"Get in the car Annabeth; your half-brothers want to see you."

Of all things for Percy to say, I wasn't expecting that. You see, when I was about 5, my mother and father got divorced. By the time I was six, my father was remarried to Susan. Within a year, my twin half-brothers were born. Susan wasn't exactly the nicest of parents at first, but by the time Matthew and Bobby started school, she realized that I wasn't all bad. I missed my family all the time when on the road, and my baby brothers wanting to see me was a nice surprise. We pull into the driveway, and Percy rings the doorbell. My father opens the door, but I quickly hide behind my boyfriend before he sees me.

"Percy, nice to see you, but why are you here?" asks my father.

"Surprise!" I say, jumping from behind Percy.

My father's eyes widen, and he quickly invites us inside. I grab Percy's hand, and sneak up to the twin's room. My father raises an eyebrow, but says nothing.

"Hey baby bros, get up," I say once I walk into the room.

Bobby and Matthew jump up, and tackle me in hugs. _They must be about ten now_ , I think.

"Sis, we didn't know you were back in town!" they shout.

"Get dressed, you two are coming back to my place with Percy." I say, ruffling their brown hair.

"We'll meet you two downstairs," says Bobby.

Five minutes later, the twins are getting in Percy's car. In true M&B fashion, they are wearing almost identical clothing, the only difference being that Matthew wore a red shirt while Bobby wore green.

"Thanks for this Percy! I seriously owe you one," I say cheerfully.

"No problem Annabeth, really, I owe you for saving me from a lifetime of popular girls."

We head towards the house, driving in silence, until Matthew and Bobby see what Hazel has decided to call the "Siren's Cove" or, our house.

"Woah, you live here?" asks Matthew.

"Yep!" I reply.

"Can we live here? Can we? Can we?" the twins ask.

"You need to live with Dad and Susan, but I'm sure you guys can stay weekends!" I say, watching their brownish green eyes light up.

We walk into the living room, where the Sirens are sitting.

"Mini Monsters! I missed you guys!" Thalia says, running over and scooping them into hugs.

With that, Hazel and Piper run over, telling the boys all about Hollywood.

"Why is Fish Face here?" asks Piper.

"I dragged her over to go pick them up," Percy answers.

The girls nod, as though that makes sense.

"Annie, can we go hang out with you and Percy now?" asks Matthew, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet.

With a wave goodbye, I allow the twins to drag me to the car.

"Where to, boys?" asks Percy, starting the car.

"How about breakfast?" asks Bobby.

Percy pulls up to a pancake place, and we pile out of the car. We are in the restaurant for about an hour and a half, laughing and catching up, when my phone goes off. I look down at it groaning when I find a TMZ trending story. **Lead Singer of the Sirens Photographed with Boyfriend and Their Sons** , the title says.

"Seaweed Brain, we need to go NOW!" I say, showing him the title.

"The paparazzi think that you're going out with me, and I'm the father of your children, who are really your half-brothers?" he says, snickering.

We quickly hop in the car, and speed back to my place.

"Percy, call Sally and Paul tell them what's going on. Get the rest of the guys over here. Matthew, call Dad and Susan, tell them to bring clothes over here. Bobby, call your teachers and explain why you two are missing school for a week and tell them to email homework," I say, taking charge of the situation.

"Why, what are we doing Annie?" ask the twins.

"We are riding this one out boys," I say, about to call Aphrodite, host of a popular talk show.

"Hello, is this the producer of _Aphrodite_?" I say.

"Yes, may I ask who is calling?" says a male voice.

"It's Annabeth Chase, lead singer of the Sirens. I'd like to schedule an interview," I say.

"Will this Friday work?" the voice says.

"Yes, and I'd like to bring a couple of guests. Would that be okay?" I ask.

"Of course, Miss Chase. How many extra people?" asks the voice.

"Ten people, and they will all be going on with me." I say boldly.

"Okay, see you then Miss Annabeth." Says the man, hanging up the phone.

"Boys, how would you feel about going on _Aphrodite_?" I ask once everyone we've called is inside the house.

"Let's do it," they say.

(Time skip to just before talk show.)

The past week has been the week from hell. All 11 of us were cooped up in the house with nothing to do. The girls and I wrote a few songs, posted videos, and played board games. The twins stayed behind the scenes mostly, except for the occasional prank, which they videotaped and posted on our channel, quickly going viral. The boys hung out with us most of the time, except when we were writing songs. When we were writing songs, the boys were watching movies. Late at night, when everyone was asleep, Percy and I snuck out into the back yard, atop the tallest tree, and we stayed there, looking at the stars in the night sky.

"That one looks like Zoë," he'd say.

Zoë Nightshade was our classmate up until 8th grade, when she died of Lead poisoning in her sleep. That very night that we found her body, the constellation known as The Huntress appeared in the night sky. It looks like Zoë doing one of her favorite things, archery. Percy and I like to believe that it was her, watching over us.

"Annabeth, we're on in five minutes," says Percy, straightening his tie, and Bobby's simultaneously.

I glance around at my friends, hoping we looked okay. Thalia piled on the eyeliner, and in a rare decision, she opted for a pair of black jeans, a red off the shoulder top, and black sneaker wedges. Piper wore a mint green flowy dress, belted at the waist, paired with light flats, and mint eyeshadow that made her eyes pop. Hazel donned a yellow dress with a cutout back, paired with pale yellow converse. I was wearing a black flowy skirt, a pale gray button down, black leather jacket, and ankle boots. Percy and the rest of the guys are wearing button down shirts in various colors, jeans, ties, and converse.

"Please welcome Annabeth Chase, and a few special guests!" I hear the voice of Piper's mother, Aphrodite chirp.

We walk out and make our way to the couches.

"Annabeth, would you care to introduce our audience to your special guests?" she asks.

"Sure! So, you already know the girls here, but these are our best friends since preschool. The blond guy is Jason, Thalia's twin brother; the really pale kid with dark hair is Hazel's half-brother, Nico; the Hispanic Santa's Elf is Leo, and no Leo, I am not calling you by any of your ridiculous names for yourself on live television; the black haired boy with green eyes is my best friend since diapers, Percy; and the two identical boys are my younger half-brothers, Bobby and Matthew. And if you see any one of the girls with these guys, WE ARE NOT DATING!" I say.

"I'm assuming you're talking about what happened on Saturday. Care to explain to the viewers who don't know what happened?" says Aphrodite.

"Okay, so since I live with the girls now instead of my family, and the twins are in elementary school, I never see them. Percy knew I missed them, so he came by the house on Saturday morning and drove me to go visit them, since the paparazzi didn't recognize his car. The boys wanted breakfast, and Percy was willing to be our chauffeur for the day, so all four of us went out for pancakes. We were mostly there catching up, but my phone went off with a notification from the TMZ app, and apparently, somebody had snapped a picture of us and now everyone thought I was dating my best friend, he was the father of my children, and my half-brothers were our sons; which was beyond weird because we were seven when they were born." I say, rolling my eyes.

"Are you sure you and Percy aren't dating? Because we have footage that proves otherwise!" Aphrodite chirps.

A compilation of all of our air time together on the YouTube channel, and a couple things I didn't even know were recorded played, including us curled up on the couch together sleeping, jumping on top of my bed dancing to random music, taking intentionally horrible selfies, cheesy romantic selfies for our fanclub that's already started at school, and finally, the entirety of the hallway makeout. My face heats up and I can tell Percy's does too. _Tan skin, don't fail us now_.

"How'd you get that stuff?" Percy asks.

"Oh, that would be Jase and I," says Thalia.

"Code Red! Code Red! There's a deluxe Percy and Annabeth glare happening!" shouts Leo.

"Run!" cries Hazel.

Matthew and Bobby dive behind the couch.

"Go to commercial break now 'Dite! Annabeth and Percy are gonna murder those two! This can't go live!" shouts Nico, crawling behind the desk.

"We'll be right back after these commercials," says Aphrodite, before taking off her heels and sprinting for cover.

"Annabeth's taking off her shoes! Duck and cover everyone!" cries Piper from her hiding place underneath the desk.

"Hold this Seaweed Brain," I growl, handing the boots over.

He puts the shoes down, sliding them under the couch. Thalia and Jason look terrified.

"Ladies first, Wise Girl," he says, gesturing to our friends.

Blood pounds in my ears. With an angry yell, I lunge at them, flipping them over. My arms and legs are a blur, flailing and striking whatever flesh they can reach. The sound of rushing blood fades.

"Fish Face, what are you waiting for? Intervene!" shouts Nico.

"Are you crazy Death Breath? Remember the last time I tried to break it up when she was on a murderous rampage? I was put in a wheelchair for a month!" Percy screams back. "And I'd rather not be beat up by my girlfriend on live television!" he mutters this last part.

My flailing limbs slow. I feel my boyfriend's arms circle my waist, and I'm being lifted away from the Grace siblings. I can tell their faces aren't bruised, but I can't tell about the rest of their bodies. Percy drags me outside. I sink to my knees crying. Percy sits next to me, holding my hand and gently pulling me to my feet.

"Are you okay Wise Girl?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'll be fine Seaweed Brain," I answer.

"Good," he says, kissing me quickly.

He grabs my hand, and we walk back inside with dopey smiles on our faces that wouldn't go away.

"Coast clear guys, I calmed her down!" Percy says, laughing.

"Oh thank gods, Kelp Head, we owe you!" says Piper.

Thalia notices our dopey grins, and our intertwined hands, she raised an eyebrow, but says nothing.

"Go wait backstage. We have to perform, but you can come out at the end," says Hazel.

We get on stage, and grab the instruments.

"Here to perform their hit song, _Fight Song_ , please welcome the Sirens!" says Aphrodite.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel)

Like a small boat

On the ocean

 _Sending big waves_

 _Into motion_

Like how a single word

Can make a heart open

 **I might only have one match**

 **But I can make an explosion**

 **And all those things I didn't say**

Wrecking balls inside my brain

 _I will scream them loud tonight_

Can you hear my voice this time?

 _ **This is my fight song**_

 _ **Take back my life song**_

 _ **Prove I'm alright song**_

 _ **My power's turned on**_

 _ **Starting right now I'll be strong**_

 _ **I'll play my fight song**_

 _ **And I don't really care if nobody else believes**_

 _ **'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me**_

Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep

Everybody's worried about me

 _In too deep_

 _Say I'm in too deep (in too deep)_

And it's been two years I miss my home

But there's a fire burning in my bones

 **Still believe**

 **Yeah, I still believe**

 **And all those things I didn't say**

Wrecking balls inside my brain

 _I will scream them loud tonight_

Can you hear my voice this time?

 _ **This is my fight song**_

 _ **Take back my life song**_

 _ **Prove I'm alright song**_

 _ **My power's turned on**_

 _ **Starting right now I'll be strong**_

 _ **I'll play my fight song**_

 _ **And I don't really care if nobody else believes**_

 _ **'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me**_

 _ **A lot of fight left in me**_

Like a small boat

On the ocean

 _Sending big waves_

 _Into motion_

Like how a single word

Can make a heart open

 **I might only have one match**

 **But I can make an explosion**

 _ **This is my fight song**_

 _ **Take back my life song**_

 _ **Prove I'm alright song**_

 _ **My power's turned on**_

 _ **Starting right now I'll be strong (I'll be strong)**_

 _ **I'll play my fight song**_

 _ **And I don't really care if nobody else believes**_

 _ **'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me**_

Know I've still got a lot of fight left in me

The applause is deafening. The guys are allowed back on stage, and I hug Matthew and Bobby while my boyfriend wraps his arms around my waist from behind and uses my head as a chinrest. Once the twins move on to the other girls, I mutter so that only Percy can hear me.

"Why am I dating such an absolute toddler?" I ask.

"Shut up, you know you love it Wise Girl," he replies, walking us over to our friend group with an arm around my shoulders.

We hop in the limo and head home. Everyone except for Percy and I go to bed instantly. The two of us stay downstairs.

"So, how do we tell our friends that we're going out?" I ask.

"No idea." He says.

"Let's just tell them tomorrow, because Thals is getting suspicious." I say.

"I knew there was a reason that I called you Wise Girl, anyways, goodnight!" he says, kissing me goodnight, and walking upstairs. I head up after him, closing my eyes, and drifting off to sleep.

When I wake up the next morning, it's to the sound of knocking on my door.

"Wise Girl, wake up," says Percy's voice.

I quickly shower and throw on a pair of skinny jeans, an old sweater, and tie my hair up into a ponytail. I head down the stairs, stopping when I see Percy.

"Good Morning," I whisper, snaking my arms around him.

He silently scoops me up and gives me a piggyback ride down the stars and walks into the living room. He throws me down on the couch and turns on the tv.

"Gimme the remote," I say.

He moves the remote away from me, causing me to climb on top on him to get it. In retaliation, he grabs my waist and starts tickling me. I squeal and start tickling him back.

"you're gonna get it," he says, holding back laughter.

He stops tickling me, but grabs a pillow and mushes it into my face.

"Why am I dating such a dork?" I chuckle.

"Because it's me," he says, leaning in.

"EWW PDA PDA!" I hear two voices shriek.

We spring apart, seeing our friends' shocked faces, and a camera in Thalia's right hand. I sigh, and pinch the bridge of my nose.

"Dammit, EVERY TIME!" screams Percy, getting off the couch and heading for the kitchen.

"Well, I guess our secret's out," I say, walking through the doorway into the kitchen.

"You know that's gonna go viral, right Wise Girl?" asks Percy, rolling his eyes.

"I know Seaweed Brain, but we survived joint bathing for two and a half years, I think we can survive the aftermath of this one," I joke.

"I know we'll get through it, I'm dating the smartest girl in the tristate area, after all," he says, grabbing my hand.

"We interrupt this lovefest for some interviews with the happy couple! Percy, how did you two get together?" asks Thalia, shoving the camera into our faces.

Percy opens his mouth to reply, but he's saved by the bell, or in this case, Leo. Leo skids into the kitchen, wearing nothing but a button down, white briefs, white socks, and sunglasses, shouting RISKY BUSINESS at top volume. He underestimates the distance he skidded, and flies straight into Thalia. In the commotion caused, Percy and I slip away.

(Skip to Monday)

It's our first day back since the Paparazzi incident, and once we get out of the car, all eyes are on us. The 9 of us carpooled together to avoid fangirls ripping the boys to shreds. Thalia sent out a group message, saying that there was another new student joining us, and they also happened to be famous, so Paparazzi was going to be extra vicious. Piper suggested to the boys that they start dressing better, because now that they are officially associated with the Sirens, people are watching them too. Percy wore cuffed jeans, vans, and a blue flannel shirt. Nico looked about the same as normal except for a leather jacket worn over his black shirt with dancing skeletons on it. Frank looked essentially the same, with a messily buttoned grey dress shirt over a plain white tee shirt, and jeans. Leo, however, went nuts with the whole "Look decent" thing. Leo donned a white Henley style shirt, grey fitted pants, and _suspenders_. Meanwhile, Jason wore a short sleeved button down and jeans. The paparazzi begin to turn their cameras towards us.

"Uh oh, Paparazzo alert," whispers Hazel

"Plan Macedonia, go go go!" I whisper scream.

Percy tucks his signature messy black hair into a gray beanie and puts on sunglasses to hide his eyes. Meanwhile, I grab Percy's swimming sweatshirt, and put it on, covering my eyes and hair with the hood. Piper's significantly less choppy hair is pulled up into a ponytail and her eyes are covered by fake glasses with an odd tint so nobody can see her kaleidoscopic eyes. Frank yanks a baseball cap low over his hair and eyes. Nico pulls his shaggy hair into a topknot and tosses his aviator sunglasses to Thalia, who slips them on. Her shoulder length spikes of black hair are tucked into a beanie, with only the bottoms of it sticking out, appearing that her hair is cut into a bob. Jason ruffles his hair in a way that makes it look like a fauxhawk, and throws on sunglasses. Leo hides his brown curls and pointed ears inside a fedora.

"Girls, split up, we'll meet by the auditorium," says Percy, before he grabs my hand and walks over to the side entrance. The gang all splits up, heading various directions.

(Time Skip)

The bell rings, and we head to music.

"Alright class, today we will be splitting up into two teams and writing a song. It will be performed in two days, at our assembly. One boy and one girl must sing;" says Ms. Aoide

Octavian something or other raises his pale, stick thin arm.

"Yes Mister…" asks the teacher

"Augur, Miss. And will we be picking teams?" he asks, glancing over at us.

"No, I've assigned them. Miss Chase," I perk up at the sound of my name." you will be working with Miss Levesque, Miss Grace, Mister Grace, Miss McLean, Mister Di Angelo, Mister Jackson, Mister Valdez, and since we have two new students joining the class, you will be receiving the girl, a Miss Calypso Atlas-Ogygia. The other team is Miss Tanaka, Miss Avila-Ramirez Arellano, Miss Dare, Miss Thompson, Mister Augur, Mister Nakamura, Mister Torrington, and the other new student, a Mister Luke Castellan," says the teacher.

Thalia pales and begins to turn a sickly shade of green. I squeeze her arm for reassurance, as the door opens and two people walk in. Ms. Aoide directs the girl over to us. The boy pulls his hood down, revealing a mop of blonde hair, and a scar going across his entire face, from his left eye, past his chin. Thalia's pupils grow huge, and I know we've lost her.

(Thalia's Pov)

of course, just when we come here for a fresh start, my ass of an ex-boyfriend turns up. The memories begin to wash over me.

" _Hey, welcome to Olympus Enterprises. I'm Luke, and you must be their newest group." he says, shaking our hands._

" _I'm Thalia, this is Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel." I introduce._

" _Oh my god Thals! You're blushing! You totally like him don't you?" says Annabeth once Luke leaves._

" _Shut up Annie," I say, shoving her._

 _Luke and I are in the studio now. He looks nervous. I wonder why._

" _Thalia, I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me," he says._

 _I don't hesitate to say yes, throwing my arms around him._

 _We were happy for 3 months, and then came trouble. Luke would disappear more often. He said he was auditioning for more roles. I believed him._

" _Where have you been? We were supposed to go for dinner tonight!" I shout, throwing my hands up._

" _I'm so sorry sweetheart, I'm working on the fame thing. I wanna be on par with my amazing girlfriend," he explains._

 _I fell for his tricks hook, line, and sinker. I didn't know until I was with my girls._

" _Thalia," Hazel says, worriedly._

" _Thals," says Piper poking me._

" _Pinecone Face!" says Annabeth, and I quickly whirl around._

" _WHAT?" I say angrily._

 _They say nothing. Hazel holds up a discarded magazine. On the cover is Luke… he's kissing some girl who isn't me. Upon taking a closer look, I realize that it's Kelli Empousa, that movie star who starred in the weird Greek mythology movie with Luke. How could he do this to me? I refused to break down until we were back home. The girls set to work writing angry songs to publicly humiliate them when they're on a date. I look at the list and pick one._

" _Perfect," I say, grinning creepily_

 _We interrupted one of their dates with cameras, dancers, and a few curious fans behind us._

 _(_ Annabeth, _Piper,_ **Thalia** , Hazel"

. I remember when we broke up the first time

Saying, "This is it, I've had enough, " 'cause like

We hadn't seen each other in a month

 _When you said you needed space. (_ What? _)_

 _Then you come around again and say_

 _"Baby, I miss you and I swear I'm gonna change, trust me."_

Remember how that lasted for a day?

I say, "I hate you, " we break up, you call me, "I love you."

 **Ooh, we called it off again last night**

 **But ooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you**

We are never ever ever getting back together,

 _We are never ever ever getting back together,_

 **You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me**

But we are never ever ever ever getting back together

 _ **Like, ever...**_

 **I'm really gonna miss you picking fights**

And me falling for it screaming that I'm right

And you would hide away and find your peace of mind

 _With some indie record that's much cooler than mine_

 _ **Ooh, you called me up again tonight**_

 _ **But ooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you**_

 _ **We are never, ever, ever, ever getting back together**_

 _ **We are never, ever, ever, ever getting back together**_

 **You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me**

 _ **But we are never ever ever ever getting back together**_

 _ **Ooh, yeah, ooh yeah, ooh yeah**_

 _ **Ooh, yeah, ooh yeah, ooh yeah**_

 _ **Ooh, yeah, ooh yeah, ooh yeah**_

 _ **Oh oh oh**_

 **I used to think that we were forever ever**

 **And I used to say, "Never say never..."**

Uggg... so he calls me up and he's like, "I still love you, "

 _And I'm like... "I just... I mean this is exhausting, you know, like,_

We are never getting back together. Like, ever"

 _ **No!**_

 _ **We are never ever ever getting back together**_

 _ **We are never ever ever getting back together**_

 _ **You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me**_

 _ **But we are never ever ever ever getting back together**_

 _ **We, ooh, getting back together, ohhh,**_

 _ **We, ooh, getting back together**_

 _ **You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me (talk to me)**_

 _ **But we are never ever ever ever getting back together**_

 _Luke at least had the decency to look embarrassed when-_

Annabeth shakes me back into reality.

"How long was I out?" I ask.

"Five minutes, Leo tried to draw a beard on you, but we stopped him," replies Piper.

(Annabeth's POV)

We flip through our songbooks, and decide to perform a song that had never been seen before, titled "Bright". Calypso turned out to be an amazing chorographer, quickly whipping the boys, with the exception of Frank, Nico, and Percy, since Frank was playing bass, Nico was setting up his acoustic guitar to back up Piper , and Percy was doing background vocals. She even got Leo to shut up for once, although it may be because he was to in love with her to joke.

"Hey, wanna run through it?" asks Hazel

(time skip to end of performance)

Percy tackles me in a bear hug, as Thalia and the rest of our group discus what to fix.

"I'm so posting that song Annie!" exclaims Piper.

I sigh, resigned and finally take off Percy's sweatshirt, revealing a pale pink top and black skirt.

"hey, Miss Aoide, can we go to the auditorium and record this song?" asks Thalia.

She nods, and we speed off. On the way, the instruments and I talk about what to edit with their parts. I grab a guitar.

"Pipes, can you play the intro a bit faster?"

"Sure Anna,"

Hazel works on adding a cohesive piano entrance

"Hey, Calypso, would you mind if you were the only dancer?" I ask.

"Not at all, and please, call me Callie;" she says.

"Leo and Jay, I need you to clap in tune at the end, and start up an audience chant;" I say, rolling my eyes as they mockingly salute.

Piper and Hazel start the intro, as soon as Leo turns on his camera.

(Annabeth, _Percy._ **both** _)_

I think the universe is on my side

Heaven and Earth have finally aligned

Days are good and that's they way it should be

 _You sprinkle star dust on my pillow case_

 _It's like a moon beam brushed across my face_

 _Nights are good and that's the way it should be_

 _You make me sing ooh la la laa_

You make a girl go ooh ooh

I'm in love, love

 **Did you see that shooting star tonight?**

 **Were you dazzled by the same constellation?**

 **Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?**

 **I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right**

 **'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright**

 **Bright, so bright**

And I see colors in a different way

You make what doesn't matter fade to grey

Life is good and that's the way it should be

 _You make me sing ooh la la laa_

You make a girl go ooh ooh

 _I'm in love, love_

 **Did you see that shooting star tonight?**

 **Were you dazzled by the same constellation?**

 **Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?**

 **I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right**

 **'Cause now I'm shining bright** (ooh **) so bright**

 _And I get lost in your eyes_

 **Did you see that shooting star tonight?**

 **Were you dazzled by the same constellation?**

 **Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?**

 **I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right**

I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right

 _I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right_

 **'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright**

 _Bright, so bright_

Bright, so bright

 **And I get lost in your eyes tonight**

I didn't realize that with every line, Percy and I had stepped closer and closer, so we were essentially nose to nose. Blushing, we spring apart, noticing the audience that had gathered. Apparently, other teachers noticed our speedy departure and brought their classes to follow us..

Percy jumps off the stage and looks at me expectantly

"Aren't you gonna jump gown Wise Girl?" he says.

"Nah, I'm in a skirt Seaweed Brain;" I answer.

"c'mon, I'll catch you!" he says, holding his arms out.

"This is really unsafe, but fine," I say, jumping.

(Thalia's POV)

Luke walks up to me an hour after our unplanned performance.

"What do you want Luke?" I say, my voice ice cold and filled with hatred.

"We need to talk, Thalia," he says tiredly.

"Talk? After cheating on me, you want to talk? Are you Crazy?" I shout.

"Yes Thalia, I am crazy. Crazy in love with you. I miss you. Can we get back together?" he says, pleading.

My vision tunnels, and the last thing I see before I black out is the worried face of Nico Di Angelo.

(Nico's POV, same time as Thalia's POV)

Thalia and the new boy are yelling at each other. I didn't know they used to be together. I find myself shaking with rage when I find out. _Woah Nico, calm down. You can't be jealous right now. Thalia's type is tall, blond, and blue eyed. You happen to be none of these things,_ I think. Thalia begins to wobble after Luke asks to get back together. I surge forward, grabbing her just before she hits the ground. Struggling to adjust to the extra weight, I manage to get her to the nurse. With Mr. Asclepius' permission, I pull out my phone and call the gang, telling them to get down here.

(Percy's POV)

I try to tune out my swim teammates ribbing me for hanging out with Annabeth and our gang. Suddenly, my phone rings.

"What's up Neeks?" I ask.

"Get down to the Nurse now, Thalia was arguing with the new boy, and she passed out. I got her down here, but you guys are excused until she gets up;" he says frantically.

"Okay, is that all Death Breath?" I say worriedly.

"Can you call your girlfriend and get the girls, and Frank down here?" he says.

"Fine, I'll call Annabeth, even though we aren't dating," I say, hanging up.

I tap her contact on my phone as I walk through the halls.

"What do you need Seaweed Brain?"

"I can't just call my beautiful girlfriend?"

"I'm in your stepdad's class, Perce. Uh oh, he's making me put this on speaker. Say nothing incriminating,"

"Fine. The gang needs to get their stuff. Thals is in the nurse's office. I'm coming to get you," I say.

"Ok bye,"

I hang up, sprinting to Paul's classroom.

"Percy, whatever are you doing here?" asks Paul.

Annabeth frantically gestures for me to leave for some reason.

"well, since class is full, and you both happen to be here, allow me to casually embarrass you;" he says to Annabeth and I.

"Oh no," Annabeth groans.

"I know you have to leave, but you will stay here until I finish this story;" he says.

"What story?" asks Frank.

" Dammit Zhang, now is not the time for this! Paul can you make the public humiliation quick?" I shout.

"Fine, Percy. Now class, you all know that Percy here is my stepson, and when Percy and Annabeth left the Halloween dance, they headed home right? Wrong. Percy's mom and I caught the two of them making out on the porch; there's more to the story, but they need to leave, and I'd prefer to see their reactions when I tell you the last part," he says, finally allowing us to leave.

"That story wasn't so bad you guys," says Frank.

Piper and Hazel start laughing uncontrollably as Annabeth and I start to blush.

"that's because you don't know the whole story," grumbled Annabeth.

"so is somebody gonna tell me the rest or…" says Frank.

"Blofis thinks the two of them are sleeping together," Piper wheezes out.

Frank begins to choke, wheezing as Hazel slaps his back.

"C'mon Frankie," says Hazel, grabbing his hand and pulling him in front of us. We walk the rest of the way to the nurse in silence, punctuated by the occasional squeak of sneakers on tile.

(Piper's POV)

I yank open the door, marching inside after everyone else. I'm greeted with the tear stained face of my crush. I run over to him enveloping him in a hug.

"Shh baby, it will be okay;" I say, feeling tears drip from his electric blue eyes and land in my hair.

"They're taking her to the hospital, we're all excused for the day," Nico says hollowly.

A siren can be faintly heard, and we all get up and help the nurse load Thals inside the ambulance. Silently, we all climb in, speeding off towards the hospital.

(Jason's POV)

I sit in the ambulance, staring at my sister's pale form. I feel a grip on my hand. I turn, and find the reassuring face of Piper. _How did I not notice that she was so pretty?_ We pile into the room soon after Thalia, and notice that there are a few chairs in the room. Percy and Annabeth take the couch, with Annabeth curled up against his side, sobbing into his shoulder. Nico drags a chair over to the bed, and holds onto Thalia's hand. I know this can't be easy for him, it reminds him too much of his mother and Bianca. You see, when Nico was little, his mother and older sister, Bianca were going to Bianca's ballet recital when they crashed. Bianca died on impact, and he was forced to move in with Hazel since his mother was in a coma. He cries silently, tears dripping down onto her arm. Frank and Hazel take two of the other chairs, and that leaves me and Piper with the last chair. She sits, and I lean my head onto her shoulder. We stay like that for what seems like hours, watching, waiting. Annabeth opens her mouth and begins to sing softly. One by one, Hazel, Piper, and Percy joined in.

(Annabeth, _Percy_ , **Hazel** , Piper, _**All**_ )

Well you only need the light when it's burning low

 _Only miss the sun when it starts to snow_

Only know you love her when you let her go

know you've

 _Only been high when you're feeling low_

 _Only hate the road when you're missing home_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

 _And you let her go_

 **Staring at the bottom of your glass**

 **Hoping one day you'll make a dream last**

 **But dreams come slow and they go so fast**

You see her when you close your eyes

Maybe one day you'll understand why

Everything you touch surely dies

 _ **But you only need the light when it's burning low**_

 _ **Only miss the sun when it starts to snow**_

 _ **Only know you love her when you let her go**_

 _ **Only know you've been high when you're feeling low**_

 _ **Only hate the road when you're missing home**_

 _ **Only know you love her when you let her go**_

Staring at the ceiling in the dark

Same old empty feeling in your heart

Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast

 _Well you see her when you fall asleep_

 _But never to touch and never to keep_

 _Cause you loved her too much and you dived too deep_

 _ **Well you only need the light when it's burning low**_

 _ **Only miss the sun when it starts to snow**_

 _ **Only know you love her when you let her go**_

 _ **Only know you've been high when you're feeling low**_

 _ **Only hate the road when you're missing home**_

 _ **Only know you love her when you let her go**_

 _ **And you let her go**_

 _ **And you let her go**_

 _ **Well you let her go**_

Cause you only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

 _Only know you've been high when you're feeling low_

 _Only hate the road when you're missing home_

 **Only know you love her when you let her go**

 _Cause you only need the light when it's burning low_

 _Only miss the sun when it starts to snow_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when you're missing home

Only know you love her when you let her go

 _ **And you let her go**_

With a loud groan, Thalia begins to stir.

"Where am I? Why are you guys crying? I didn't die did I?" croaks Thalia.

We swarm her, cheering. The doctors come in, ask a few questions, and allow her to leave.

"Let's blow this popsicle stand!" shouts Thalia, marching out the doors.

We drive to the girl's house, singing along to all the songs on the radio. When we get there, Thalia goes to unlock the door.

"It's already unlocked. That's weird," says Hazel.

Piper pushes the door open slowly to reveal… the new guy. _WHAT ON EARTH IS HE DOING HERE?_

"OH MY GODS LUKE WHY ARE YOU IN MY HOUSE?" shrieks Thalia.

"I missed you, and wanted to see what you said about getting back together," Luke says.

 _WHAT? THEY WERE TOGETHER?_

"Are you serious _Castellan_?" spits Annabeth with contempt. "You cheated on one of my best friends, _broke her heart, and now you want her back?_ "

"Are you _stupid_?" says Piper testily.

The rest of us say nothing, but our glares at Luke say volumes.

"No McLean, _I'm_ not the stupid one," Luke says, glaring at Annabeth.

(Percy's POV)

"Excuse Me? Annabeth's a genius!" screams Hazel.

Frank, Leo, and Nico close all doors, windows, and curtains, prepping for a fight.

"Are you blind? _Annabelle's_ just a dumb blonde! What does she know?" Luke spits.

 _OH NO HE DIDN'T!_

"My name, is Annabeth;" she growls, lunging for him.

I narrowly grab her waist, keeping her from attacking. Luke laughs, muttering about stupid blonde girls.

"Listen buddy, I don't think you want to do this. If you insult her, she'll beat you up, and I'll help;" I say, struggling to hold my girlfriend back.

"ooh, I'm so scared. What are you two going to do to me? I mean, you can't even hold back a weak girl!" Luke shouts, laughing.

Annabeth whirls around, kissing me before whispering, "you distract him, I'll get his back, and vice versa,"

Time slows. I remove my hands from her waist. I run for Luke, almost laughing as Annabeth prepares to tackle him, I see Annabeth wink, and I roll to the side, just as Annabeth sends Luke sprawling across the carpet where I had been. We switch places, just as Luke tries to kick Annabeth's legs out from under her. She does a back handspring, getting out of reach. He tries to go for me. I block his punch and head-butt him, knocking him back over. I start to walk away, until I hear Hazel scream my name. I whirl and duck as Luke sends a kick that would have fractured my ribs. It only grazes the top of my hair. Luke turns, as Annabeth moves to my side of him. He turns back too late, and Annabeth takes advantage of my crouched position, flipping him over the both of us. I get up and high five Annabeth, kicking Luke in the crotch as I go.

"Zhang, take him out of here," says Thalia, turning off her GoPro.

Frank hefts him over his shoulder and throws him onto the sidewalk.

"I have an idea Thalia," says Nico.

"what is it?" she asks.

"What if one of us pretended to date you so that scumbag will leave you alone?" Nico asks.


	6. Let's Get Down to Business

Chapter Six

Annabeth's POV

"That works!" Thalia squeaks.

"Whoa whoa whoa, back up a bit Death the Kid. Who'd be brave enough to deal with my baby sister?" Jason says.

"I'm only 15 minutes younger Jay," Thalia shouts.

"Alright, that's cool, but who is willing to do this?" Piper says, pushing the Grace twins apart to prevent the fight.

"Hmm… well, I know that Percy and I are out on this one," Jason says.

"And why's Percy out? I understand you not wanting to fake date your little sister, but Percy?"

Hazel asks.

"Well, we all know that Percy's all Annabeth's by this point, and they're essentially dating, if they aren't already;" Jason states.

Everyone turns to face us. Piper tries to hold back a snicker when she sees that I'm leaning on Percy's shoulder and his arm is around me. Percy doesn't notice though, as his other hand is absentmindedly weaving through my hair. I elbow him in the gut, smirking as he flinches.

"Ouch! What did you need, Babe?" he says, still looking at me.

"YOU GUYS HAVE PET NAMES ALREADY? That's so cute!" Piper shrieks.

"Oh. So that's why you elbowed me," Percy says.

"So yeah, Percy's out;" Jason says.

"Whipped," Leo fake coughs.

Percy's face starts to redden.

"Percy you look as red as Dare's hair," I say, giggling.

He shakes his head, tears falling down his cheeks as he laughs. A loud noise comes from my laptop, signifying a Skype call.

"Answer it," he hiccups, still laughing.

I pull my Daedalus laptop out from behind the couch and pull up Grover's Skype Profile.

"Hey Annabeth! What's up- is that PERCY'S shoulder that you're leaning on? What did I miss while I'm out in Wichita?" he asks.

"Goat Boy! I miss you man! Not much has been going on over here!" Percy says, trying, and failing to stall.

"You two are hiding something. What aren't you telling me?" Grover says, narrowing his brown eyes.

"Nothing G-Man," I chuckle nervously.

"We caught the two of them making out several times," Thalia says, grabbing my laptop and turning it to face her.

"What? Does this mean my years of suffering through your sexual tension are over?" He exclaims.

"YOU SAW IT TOO?" Leo shrieks.

"Valdez, everyone with eyes saw it." Piper says, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, and I've figured out why Drew and the Populars hate you girls." Grover says.

"Why?" Hazel says.

"Because you all pose a threat to the status quo at Goode. Think about it. The nerd, the punk, the wallflower, and the quirky girl all being best friends with some of the most popular jocks in the school? That goes against what the rest of the popular people stand for! If people were to start listening to you girls, the entire social order could collapse! That's why they bullied you so much. But what they didn't count on was the creation of the Sirens, and you coming back with a vengeance. And boys, they started dating you to keep you from contacting the girls. Any ideas for rejecting the status quo had to be destroyed." Grover says.

"What? We just chose to be ourselves, and that's why they hate us!" Piper screams.

"Yeah, and I've gotta go, bye guys;" Grover says, ending the call.

"So, back to the plan," Nico says.

"I'm out. Being fake tied down really wouldn't allow me to flirt with the members of Team Leo," Leo says, smirking.

"Umm, guess I'm out too," Frank says, looking at Hazel with a longing expression. Hmm… I wonder.

"So that's settled. Anything new with the Sirens?" Jason asks.

"Yes. We need you to help us decide if this song is good enough for our next Album," Piper says, already setting up her guitar.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel)

I thought that I'd been hurt before

But no one's ever left me quite this sore

Your words cut deeper than a knife

Now I need someone to breathe me back to life

 _Got a feeling that I'm going under_

But I know that I'll make it out alive

If I quit calling you my lover

 **Move on**

 ** _You watch me bleed until I can't breathe_**

 ** _Shaking, falling onto my knees_**

 ** _And now that I'm without your kisses_**

 ** _I'll be needing stitches_**

 ** _Tripping over myself_**

 ** _Aching, begging you to come help_**

 ** _And now that I'm without your kisses_**

 ** _I'll be needing stitches_**

 _Just like a moth drawn to a flame_

 _Oh, you lured me in, I couldn't sense the pain_

 _Your bitter heart cold to the touch_

Now I'm gonna reap what I sow

 **I'm left seeing red on my own**

 _Got a feeling that I'm going under_

But I know that I'll make it out alive

If I quit calling you my lover

 **Move on**

 ** _You watch me bleed until I can't breathe_**

 ** _Shaking, falling onto my knees_**

 ** _And now that I'm without your kisses_**

 ** _I'll be needing stitches_**

 ** _Tripping over myself,_**

 ** _Aching, begging you to come help_**

 ** _And now that I'm without your kisses_**

 ** _I'll be needing stitches_**

 **Needle and the thread,**

 **Gotta get you out of my head**

 **Needle and the thread,**

 **Gonna wind up dead**

Needle and the thread,

Gotta get you out of my head

Needle and the thread,

Gonna wind up dead

 _Needle and the thread,_

 _Gotta get you out of my head_

 _Needle and the thread,_

 _Gonna wind up dead_

Needle and the thread,

Gotta get you out of my head, get you out of my head

 ** _You watch me bleed until I can't breathe_**

 ** _Shaking, falling onto my knees_** (falling on my knees)

 ** _And now that I'm without your kisses_**

 ** _I'll be needing stitches_** **(and I'll be needing stitches)**

 ** _Tripping over myself,_**

 ** _Aching, begging you to come help (_** _begging, "Baby, please.")_

 ** _And now that I'm without your kisses_**

 ** _I'll be needing stitches_**

(And now that)

 ** _I'm without your kisses_**

 ** _I'll be needing stitches_**

(And now that)

 ** _I'm without your kisses_**

 ** _I'll be needing stitches_**

"So, how was that?" I ask nervously.

"I don't know much about music, but that seemed pretty great!" Frank says.

The phone rings, and Hazel grabs it, putting it on speaker.

"Hey girls!"

"What do you want Apollo?" Thalia says.

"Well, you and your friends have been invited to the teen choice awards next month, and one of your songs is up for an award." Apollo says.

"Great!" Hazel says.

"Bye 'Pollo!" Piper says as Hazel hangs up.

"Call Callie," I say, snuggling deeper into Percy's shoulder.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, until Callie barges in and sits down next to Leo.

"Okay, now for the dating announcement video," Jason says, grabbing the camera.

"You sure that you want to come clean Beth?" Percy whispers.

"Honestly? No, I'm terrified. But one of us will let it slip, and it's better that the reveal happens on our own terms than in rumors;" I reply.

We sit in a semicircle yet again, and Leo turns on the camera.

"Hey guys, I'm Thalia," she says, waving.

"Hazel,"

"Piper,"

"and I'm Annabeth. We are the Sirens. You've already met these guys, but since we have a new person and you might not have seen the video that the boys are in, just go around and introduce yourselves," I say.

"Hey, I'm Percy, AKA the Kelp Head mentioned in truth or dare, and the guy who sang _Bright_ with Annabeth," he says.

"I'm Nico, Hazel's older brother," Nico says.

"By 4 months Neeks! Four months!" Hazel interrupts.

"I'm Jason, Thalia's twin brother," Jason says.

"hi, um, I'm Frank, and I don't have anything too interesting to add," Frank says awkwardly.

"Sup, I'm Leo, and ladies, call me," Leo says loudly, failing to dodge the whack to the back of the head from Calypso.

"Nobody in their right minds would call you, Leo. And hiya guys, I'm Callie, and I guess you could say that I'm just excited to be here;" she says, snickering at Leo's pouty face.

"So, first off we have a few announcements. Pinecone Face, Death Breath, if you please;" Piper says, gesturing to Nico and Thalia.

"well, um," Nico says nervously.

"We're dating!" says Thalia.

"Finally!" screams Percy.

"And, Percy and I have been together since Halloween," I say, rolling my eyes at his antics.

"It's been 3 weeks, and he's already whipped," Leo shouts.

"You've seen her when she's angry Valdez. I don't need that directed at me," Percy says calmly.

"True, True, very good point," says Frank.

"Finally, our song _Bubbly_ was nominated for a teen choice award" Piper says.

"We've gathered up a bunch of questions from our Twitter page, and we're going to answer them right now," says Hazel.

"First one. Missy Rogers asks: can you explain why you have those weird nicknames? Gladly Missy!" says Piper.

"So I'm called Pinecone Face because when we were little, we were racing at our preschool, and whoever reached the tree at the edge of the property got first pick for snack time. I was in the lead, until I missed a turn and slammed face first into a pine tree. Because of the force of impact, a few pinecones fell off the tree and hit me in the head," grumbles Thalia.

"I'm called Beauty Queen because my biological mother, Aphrodite, forced me to compete in beauty pageants when I was in elementary school," Piper says, rolling her eyes.

"I was called Miss Metal Detector because I have an uncanny ability to unearth metals," Hazel says.

"I was called Owl Head because on a trip to the zoo, I disturbed an owl nest, so they started attacking me, and I got an owl tangled in my hair," I say.

"I'm called Death Breath because I knocked a boy out with my breath after eating hot peppers," Nico groans.

"I'm called Kelp Head because we went to the beach and got Kelp tangled in my hair," Percy mutters.

"I'm called Beastie because I used to have anger issues and once beat up a bully in an animal costume," Frank says, embarrassed.

"I'm called Repair Boy because I can fix almost anything," Leo answers.

"I don't have a nickname yet," Callie says.

"Cal, how about we call you Sunshine? You seem to do real well with plants, and you have a bright smile," says Hazel.

"Okay, I guess I'm Sunshine now," Callie shrugs.

We continue answering boring questions until 11 o'clock, when Callie and the boys have to leave. the five of us walk upstairs. I curl up under my bedsheets and go to sleep.

"Ugh," I say as my phone goes off, waking me up. I groan and I pr

"What's up baby sis?" a crackly voice says.

"Mal?" I say in wonder.

"The one and only. So how's my little genius doing? I hear you're back in town;" Malcom says.

"Good, and yeah I am. I live with the girls now. So how's work?" I ask.

"Great!" and with that, my brother launches into a tirade about his high paying job in the stock trading business.

"That's amazing Mal!"

"And, I'm coming in this weekend and working from home for a month so I can see my baby siblings," he says.

"That's great! I can't wait to see you! When will you be getting in?" I say.

"I'll be at Dad and Susan's by the time the twins get home from school," he says.

"Great, we have to stop by there to pick up their stuff for the weekend! We can get you while we're there!"

"And is there anyone that I need to beat up for my baby sis and my adopted little sisters?" he says.

"Just Percy and Nico. And we've got a new girl in our group, so you've got another baby sister," I say, as Silena comes in to drop off her outfit of the day.

"Alright, gotta go, bye Bethie!"

"Bye Mal!" I say, hanging up and tugging my blonde curls into a high ponytail and heading into the bathroom to take a shower.

I get out of the shower after 5 minutes and slip on my clothes. Silena picked out a navy blue and white polka dotted sundress with a cutout at the small of my back. I paired it with a long white cardigan and white ballet flats. I walk out into the living room, where Piper and Thalia sit playing Mario Kart. Piper looked pretty normal in a pair of black leggings, denim like shirt, grey scarf, and white converse. Thalia hunches over her Wii remote, tucking her red Doc Martens under the coffee table. Her arms are tucked into a black sweater, with a pale skull in the middle. Silena originally gave her a pair of dark pants, but after a huge fight, Thalia got her way and put on a pair of ripped black shorts. At Silena's insistence, Thalia also has on black over the knee socks.

"Oh my gods! Am I late?" Hazel asks, tugging on a tan oxford shoe as she leans on the banister.

"Nah, relax Haze. We're still waiting for Leo," says Piper.

I look down at her outfit, a mustard yellow short sleeved blouse with a rounded white collar, tucked into a flowered skirt.

Leo runs into the room, tugging a comb through his loose curls.

He trips on the hem of his jeans, cursing under his breath. He rolls up the sleeves of his loose cotton shirt, kneeling on the ground to lace up his converse. I can hear Argus honk the horn outside, and I grab our bags, calling everyone to the car. I pull out my songbook, working on a new song for the Teen Choice awards. We stop in front of Calypso's house, honking a few times to get her to come outside. She bounds out of the front door, carrying a large box, with her caramel colored hair and white dress blowing behind her as she walks to the car.

"I brought breakfast for everyone," she says at our questioning looks.

She passes out food, giving Leo a paper bag full of churros.

"Dios Mio! You're actually the best Sunshine!" Leo shouts, digging in.

"No prob Valdez," she says, passing Thalia an Egg McMuffin and a coffee.

"Thanks Cal! I forgot my coffee this morning! You're a lifesaver!" Thalia exclaims.

"For you Annabeth," she says, handing over a large croissant and a latte in a Starbucks bag.

I give her a look of gratitude, watching Piper's reaction as she finds a veggie wrap and a travel cup of green tea in Calypso's breakfast box.

"Is this for me Cal?" she says, awestruck.

"Yep, it says Piper in the corner," Callie says, pointing.

Jason opens the door to the car, hopping inside.

"JJ, catch," Thalia says, tossing over a Sausage McMuffin.

"Haze, I heard you were from New Orleans, so I brought you beignets. Is that okay?" Callie asks.

"I love beignets! It's perfect Callie, thank you," Hazel says excitedly.

Next up is Percy's house. We pull up, and he's already on the front steps waiting. He slides in next to me, and I pass him a bag full of blueberry mini muffins.

"Sunshine brought us all breakfast," I explain.

His eyes go wide, and he smiles gratefully at Callie.

We pull into Frank's driveway, and he jogs over to the car, yanking open the door and clambering inside. Hazel passes him a small bag with donuts inside.

"Thanks," he says.

"oh, this was all Callie," Hazel says sweetly.

Frank mutters a quick thanks, and we pull out of the Zhang driveway and drive in silence. About 8 minutes later, we pull into Nico's driveway. He climbs in, and is given a large cannoli in a bag.

"Thanks, guys," he says.

"so, Malcom's gonna be back in town tonight," I start.

"Who?" asks Callie.

"Annie's older brother. He's kind of become the adopted big brother to all of us," Thalia says.

"He's already heard about you, and he's totally willing to be the clichéd overprotected older brother for you, Cal;" I say reassuringly.

"He's going to love you Sunshine," Piper states.

"Also, Percy, Nico, he's going to give you two a stern talking to," I say, smirking as the two boys pale.

"Oh no," Nico whispers.

"Oh Gods, the older brother talk. Can I skip it?" Percy asks,

"No, Perce. You can't. I have a bet going on how long it will take you to embarrass yourself," I say.

I get out of the car, grabbing both my grey messenger bag and Percy's dark blue backpack. Percy grabs it from me and slips it over his left shoulder, with his right arm slung over my shoulders. I turn back to Thalia and Nico, who are just standing there awkwardly.

"Hold hands!" I hiss, turning back and beginning to march towards the sea of paparazzi.

"Blondie, you sure you want to tell the whole school?" Percy says, looking down at me.

"Honestly? No, but one of us is going to let it slip, and I'd prefer that the truth came out on our terms rather than in rumors," I say, sighing.

"Guys, what's with the mushy whispering over here? You two confessing your undying love or something?" Leo shouts to be heard over the growing crowds.

I can see the slap coming from a mile away. Leo winces as Thalia's hand connects with his skull.

"Guys! Huddle up," I shout. "We've been invited to the Teen Choice Awards, and we would like to know if you'd come with us?"

"Yes," says Frank immediately.

"Si," says Leo.

"Might as well," Percy says.

"I'm in," says Jason.

"Well, of course I'm in!" Callie squeals.

"Fine, I guess I'll do it," Nico grumbles.

"I'll text Silena. She'll want advanced warning that you guys are coming, so she can get clothes;" I say, pulling out my phone and quickly sending the message.

"Is Silena the screaming girl that lives with you guys?" Percy asks as we fall into line with our friends.

"Yep, that's her," I say as his arm rests on my shoulders.

We walk into the building, trying to avoid the stares of students and bright flashes of paparazzi.

(Skip to lunch)

My phone goes off with a text from Silena. It's a bunch of pictures of the outfits she's having shipped in from her friends in LA. She's put them all into collages based on what colors look good on us, and labeled each collage with a name. For example, the Annabeth collage has a lot of grey, pink, and flowered items. My personal favorite was a pale pink crop top with grey accents and a matching high waisted skirt. Calypso's college was a lot of white and pale colors with gold accents. She loved a cream dress with a golden belt and white lace that traveled from the neckline to the base of the neck and the entire shoulder. Piper's options were mostly earthy tones, blues, and greens. Piper sighed and selected an unevenly cut turquoise lace dress with a thin brown belt. Hazel peruses the pictures of gowns that Silena selected for her, mostly purples, yellows, and olive greens. She gasps and stops on an unevenly striped dress in varying shades of purple.

"I love this one! I'll have to tell Silena thanks!" Hazel says.

"Oh by the way, boys, Lena is ordering trendy clothes in your sizes. They'll be in around the same time as our dresses," I say.

The guys groan, and I hear a few angry mutters.

"Dresses? Where are the sluts going? A little skank convention?" Drew sneers.

"ooh, that was a good insult! You should tell it to your boyfriend! Oh wait… which one do you tell? The 5 guys you sleep with or the one you keep for show?" Callie asks, feigning innocence.

"Why you little-"Rachel starts.

"Save the insults Dare. You don't want to waste your few remaining brain cells on them," I interrupt, rolling my eyes.

Reyna snorts, but quickly covers it up with a mask of annoyance.

"You're just jealous," Khione sneers.

"Of what? Your inability to insult? Or your inability to keep your legs closed?" Thalia asks sarcastically.

"No! obviously you girls are jealous of how pretty we are!" Drew exclaims.

"Drew, honey. I doubt you're as pretty as you think you are. You look like you submerged your face in foundation. What are you hiding?" Piper says.

"Hey girls, I'm gonna go over there," Reyna says pointing behind us. "you finish up soon, okay?"

She walks past us, saying "nice job girls," out of the corner of her mouth.

"But seriously, where are you going?" Khione says, losing the cold edge of her voice.

"oh, you know, the Teen Choice Awards," Hazel whispers.

"WHAT? YOU FREAKS ARE GOING TO THE TEEN CHOICE AWARDS?" Drew screams.

Everyone in the cafeteria turns towards us. _Great. Just Great._ Percy groans and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Thals? Neeks?" I say, hoping they get the message.

"On it, Annie. C'mon Death the Kid," Thalia says, grabbing Nico's hand and walking to the middle of the room, climbing on top of the now almost empty popular table.

Thalia pulls a silver whistle out of her pocket. She raises it to her thin lips, and a shrill note pierces the air.

"GUYS! MY BOYFRIEND HAS SOMETHING TO SAY HERE!" she screams.

"Way to be obvious Pinecone Face," I mutter. Percy snickers, and we turn back towards them.

"So, um… you guys did hear right. We are going to the Teen Choice Awards." Octavian and Luke raise their hands." Octavian, you can't go with us," Nico says, rolling his eyes.

"What about me?" Luke asks.

"Are you crazy Castellan? After CHEATING ON ME, and BREAKING INTO OUR HOUSE, you want to go with us?" Thalia screams.

"Don't even think about it Luke. Percy and Annabeth will not hesitate to beat the crap out of you again;" Nico says, sneering.

"I don't believe that Princess and Prissy attacked this dude," Clarisse shouts.

"Fine. Repair Boy, if you please," Nico says as Leo comes forward.

He pulls a flash drive out of his sock, plugs it into a laptop, and hooks it up to the projector screen. He presses play, and the entire cafeteria turns to watch.

 _"Excuse Me? Annabeth's a genius!" screams Hazel._

 _Frank, Leo, and Nico close all doors, windows, and curtains, prepping for a fight._

 _"Are you blind? Annabelle's just a dumb blonde! What does she know?" Luke spits._

 _"My name, is Annabeth;" I growl, lunging for him._

 _Percy narrowly grabs my waist, keeping me from attacking. Luke laughs, muttering about stupid blonde girls._

 _"Listen buddy, I don't think you want to do this. If you insult her, she'll beat you up, and I'll help;" Percy says, struggling to hold me back._

 _"ooh, I'm so scared. What are you two going to do to me? I mean, you can't even hold back a weak girl!" Luke shouts, laughing._

 _I whirl around, kissing Percy before whispering, "you distract him, I'll get his back, and vice versa,"_

 _He removes his hands from my waist. He runs for Luke, almost laughing as I prepare to tackle him, He rolls to the side, just as I send Luke sprawling across the carpet where my boyfriend had been. We switch places, just as Luke tries to kick my legs out from under me. I do a back handspring, getting out of reach. He tries to go for Percy. Percy blocks his punch and head-butts him, knocking him back over. Percy starts to walk away, until he hears Hazel scream his name. He whirls and ducks as Luke sends a kick that would have fractured his ribs. It only grazes the top of his hair. Luke turns, as I move to Percy's side of him. He turns back too late, I take advantage of Percy's crouched position, flipping him over the both of us._

"Well then. I stand corrected. Nice job you two," Clarisse says.

"Thanks," Percy says.

People turn back to their food and friends, and Thalia stares at the collage of red, electric blue, silver, and black fabrics.

"Ooh, what about this one?" Hazel says, pointing to a black dress with a red skirt.

"It works with my leather jacket, so sure!" Thalia says.

"okay guys, it's time to read the comments on our videos;" I say, pulling up the video.

I start laughing at the first comment.

"What's so funny Annabeth?" Callie says.

"This comment. I'll read it out loud. Muzu says, and I quote, 'Percy and Jason are sooooooooo hawt!'" I say.

Percy and Jason redden, and we all start laughing.

"But that's not all! Innosphere224 says, and again, I am quoting here, 'I KNOW RIGHT? MY OVARIES!'" I wheeze.

Leo falls out of his seat, laughing uncontrollably. People turn and stare.

"Nothing to see here! Go back to what you were doing!" Piper says.

As if by magic, everyone turns back towards their friends. Percy slams his head down on the table repeatedly. I grab Percy's hair and pull him up.

"Wait, so none of these commenters think I'm cute? I'm cute aren't I?" Leo says, scrolling through the commenters.

The bell rings, and we start heading to class. Percy walks me to Mr. Blofis' class room.

"I'll see you after class Wise Girl," he says, leaning down.

I wrap my arms around him and stand on my toes to kiss him.

"Ahem," Mr. Blofis says.

"Oh, hi Paul! How's it going?" Percy says, chuckling nervously.

"You two have something to tell me?" Paul says, crossing his arms and looking between us.

"Seaweed Brain, go to class. I can handle this," I say, kissing him on the cheek.

"Call me if things get out of hand. I know you have the popular girls in your class;" Percy says, continuing down the hall before disappearing into a classroom.

"So, Miss Chase, it appears that you're dating my stepson;" Paul says, walking out of the room.

I groan and put my head on my desk. Rachel teeters over to my desk, and slams her hand down on it.

"What do you want?" I ask, looking up at her.

"Listen up slut. You need to dump Percy. He's too hot for you and he's way out of your league." She sneers.

"What? He's one of my best friends! And what? You expect that if I dump him, he'll go crawling back to you? Well News flash Dare, that isn't going to happen;" I spit.

"That's what you think. You see, I always get what I want, and what I want is him." Rachel sneers, flipping her fried red hair over her shoulder and strutting away.

I pull out my phone and text Percy.

 _Hey Seaweed Brain,_ I type out, pressing send.

 _What's up babe? Anything wrong?_ He types out immediately.

 _Nothing much, Rachel wants you back._ _She told me to me to break up with you. I said no, so she's doing it herself._ I say.

 _Ok thanks for the heads up,_ he replies.

"Okay class, put your phones away and turn to act one scene one. It's time to begin class," Paul says. Rustling noises fill the room as people pull out their copies of Hamlet and flip to the correct page. I sigh and settle down for an hour and a half of English.

(skip to end of class.)

"Annabeth, what did Dare want to talk to you about?" Frank says.

"She wants Percy back, so she told me to dump him. I said no, obviously;" I reply.

"I'm going to kill her," Piper fumes.

"Don't do it. You have fans. Just subtly get revenge." Nico says, a creepy smile flickering across his face.

The bell rings, and we all stream out the door for free period. As we pass by Percy's class room, I poke my head in, only to see him asleep on his desk.

"Be right back guys," I groan, jerking my thumb towards the door.

I turn and head in, nodding to the sub as I walk in.

"Are you going to try and wake him up young lady?" the sub asks.

"Yes ma'am." I reply.

"If you don't mind me asking, how do know him?" she asks, erasing the lesson plans on the board.

"I'm his best friend and girlfriend, miss;" I reply, placing my backpack on the floor beside his desk.

"thank you. And can you try and get him to stay awake in class?" she says, walking out the door.

I tap Sally's contact in my phone, knowing that she is at home working on her second book.

"Hello Annabeth! What's up sweetheart?" her tired voice says as she picks up.

"Your idiotic son fell asleep in class, and I need your help to wake him up. Hang on, I'm putting you on speaker for this. Just don't freak out, okay?" I say, pressing the speaker button.

"Why would I freak out?" she replies.

"Umm… Percy and I may sort of be… dating now," I squeak.

"What? And he didn't tell me! How long?" she says.

"Since Halloween." I say, cringing.

"PERSEUS ALLEN JACKSON! HOW DARE YOU NOT TELL ME THAT YOU AND ANNABETH FINALLY GOT TOGETHER?" Sally screams.

Percy jumps and falls out of his chair.

"I'm up! I'm okay!" he says.

"I'm so happy for you two!" she chirps.

"Thanks Sally! I'll send him home after Malcom scares him with the 'overprotective older brother speech'. Speaking of which, do you wanna get involved in the betting pool?" I say, taking the phone off speaker and bending down to grab my bag.

"No thanks. Bye!" she says.

"Bye, Sally!" I reply, grabbing Percy's arm and dragging him towards our friends

"We've got an hour and 15 minutes left of free period. Let's break down some barriers," Thalia says, rubbing her hands together.

I climb onto Percy's back, and point down the hall.

"To the music room!" Percy shouts, sprinting down the hall, with me holding on for dear life and our group following closely behind.

Callie closes the door behind her, and slips into our huddle, blushing as Leo's arm wraps around her.

"Okay. Phase 1 has to be done by Winter Ball. Let's go, go go!" Piper says.

"Sirens, we're song duty. Sunshine, choreography after our song is done. Valdez, sound and camera. Boys, recruit some people." I say.

"Ready, Break!" Percy shouts.

Callie goes off to the side and starts executing a few dance steps, as Percy and the boys pull up the directory and send a school wide text about the winter ball. Then they send a few texts about our rejection of status quo plan, careful to avoid sending it to the Drew Crew. The girls and I grab a few instruments and set to work.

"how about this riff?" Piper says, strumming a few chords at a quick speed.

"that's cool, and Haze, the song opens with piano, so can you come up with a good piano solo?" I say.

"On it, Annabeth" she says, as she pulls out a piece of paper and begins to play a few notes, writing them down.

"Thals, let's get these lyrics done," I say, opening my song book and grabbing a pencil out of my backpack.

We stay like that, working separately, until we have the first draft of our song.

"We're done for the day. Team updates? Sunshine, as leader of the dance team, what have you done today?" I say.

"I got rough choreography done for the song," she says, launching into a routine of simple moves.

"Great!" Hazel says.

"Boys, Recruitment? Who's in?" Piper asks.

"90% of the school is going to winter ball," Frank says.

"The Eco-Freaks and The Nerds are in for the flash mob part. Newspaper is gonna cover the whole thing and print propaganda," Percy says.

"That's what? Like 240 people?" Thalia says. Jason nods, and we start to celebrate.

"Valdez, Team Electronics. Any information?" I say.

"Robotics and Computer Programming clubs are going to film the whole thing and stream it over the daily news broadcast." Leo says, fiddling with some scraps of wire.

"How about you?" Percy asks, running a hand through his hair.

"We got our rough draft done. With a few tweaks, we should be good!" Piper says.

The bell rings, and we rush off towards our lockers to grab our Gym clothing. As Thalia reaches to shut the door, a large tan fist slams it shut. Luke looks down at Thalia's annoyed face.

"Hey Babe," Luke says, a wicked grin rippling the long scar on his face.

"Don't call me that Castellan. What do you want? You know I'm with Nico now," Thalia growls.

"That pale emo kid? C'mon, you could do so much better than him. I mean, I'm available!" Luke says, gesturing to himself and smirking as Thalia trembles with rage.

I can see the boys coming down the hall behind Luke. Nico freezes and the boys look ready to deck Luke

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU LUKE? How dare you say something like that about my boyfriend? Listen up _Castellan_. I don't like you anymore. Not now, not ever again. But if you even _think_ about hurting me or Nico, I'm taking your ass to court," Thalia shrieks.

Nico and the boys begin to sneak towards Luke, and we say nothing. Thalia still doesn't notice the boys, and she glares so hard at Luke that her eyes begin to twitch

"Just dump the loser sweetheart. We could be the power couple again!" Luke sneers.

"No Luke. Nico makes me happier than I ever was with you! I love him, and I've loved him for years. I thought that by dating you, I could forget, but I can't. Nico means the world to me." Thalia screams. Nico finally steps out from behind Luke and Thalia pales.

"You've loved me for years? And you didn't tell me?" Nico whispers, stepping closer to Thalia.

"Nico, I'm so sorry-"Thalia says, tearing up.

I suck in a breath, and I can tell that we're all waiting for what Nico's going to do. He surges forward, wrapping his arms around Thalia's waist.

"If it helps, I've loved you for a while too." Nico whispers, closing the distance between them.

Percy coughs, and I elbow him in the gut.

"And Luke, it took me _5 years_ to get the courage to ask her out. What makes to get the courage to ask her out. What makes you think that you can take her away so easily?" Nico sneers, grabbing Thalia's hand and walking away.

We stride into the locker rooms, giggling. I slip on my black shorts, and a flowy grey tank top with a picture of an anchor on it. I shove my feet into my sneakers, and braid my hair into two fishtails, mentally going through Silena's instructions. Piper nervously tugs on her torn shorts and coffee-stained tank top one last time, and sets to work French braiding all of the short chunks of her hair up into a ponytail. Hazel yanks on her purple tunic and some capri leggings, and she French braids her hair all the way around her head. Thalia sighs as she slips into her ripped black leggings and silver sweatshirt.

"Alright Cupcakes. Today, we will be walking around the school all period," Coach Hedge says once we enter.

I sneak over to Percy, who is sitting by the climbing ropes, talking to the members of the swim team. I bend down, grab his hands, and yank him up.

"What's up? What are we doing today?" he asks.

"Were you not listening Seaweed Brain?" I say, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"One: can you _stop_ calling me that in public? And two: no, of course not. Why would I when my amazing girlfriend has a nearly photographic memory?" he says, smirking.

"Perseus Allen Jackson," I growl. Percy begins to pale, and his teammates back up.

"I get ten seconds to run away?" he says, already bobbing and weaving through the throng of people.

"Yep, and flattery gets you nowhere Perce!" I shout.

"I know, but I can try!" Percy screams from the center of the gym.

"You're insufferable!" I shout, sprinting towards him. He turns and starts running to the exit.

"Love you too!" He shouts.

I run out of the gym after him. A crowd of people follow, including Coach Hedge, the girls, the boys, and the popular girls.

"Perseus Allen Jackson! No kisses and candy for a month if you don't get over here _right now_!" I shout as I follow him towards the auditorium. I hear a faint gasp coming from a locker. Getting closer, I can see that the door is held open by a large black sneaker.

"Dammit Percy, get out of there," I say, yanking the door open and dragging him out into the hallway.

"Percy, don't say things like that!" I scold, as the crowd disperses.

"Why?" he asks, spinning me around so that I face him and gripping both of my hands.

" I guess I'm just paranoid. I was thinking about Rachel said, and maybe she's right! You are way out of my league, and you're only using me for my brain and-"I rant, almost whispering by the end.

"Beth," Percy whispers, cutting me off.

"What?" I say, my voice shaking, and nearly crying.

"if anything, you're out of my league. You're famous, rich, gorgeous, and a genius! I'm just me," Percy says.

"So we're both insecure. Rachel was wrong. Let's go," I say, grabbing Percy's hand and walking down the hall.

"- Like oh my god! She's so rude to Percy! I need to save him from that Annabitch!" I hear Rachel say to another girl.

"Oh my god you're right! And that Grace girl has Nico wrapped around her grubby little fingers!" Drew says, twirling her dyed brown hair around a perfectly manicured finger.

"I don't know guys. They seem pretty happy together," Reyna suggests.

"Shut it Rey. Do you _want_ to be blacklisted here?"

"Go," I whisper, sprinting down a connecting hallway with Percy close behind.

"Ahh! Oh my god I lost an earring!" I hear Drew wail.

"Let's look for it," Khione says.

We get to the end of our hall way and turn into theirs.

"Hop on," Percy whispers.

I obey, and giggle loudly as Percy begins to walk down the hallway. The girls look up in shock, and I bury my face into Percy's neck.

"Oh… hey girls," Percy says nervously.

"What is that _thing_ on your back?" Rachel shrieks.

I take that as my cue, and hop off Percy's back.

"Oh. It's you girls. Babe, I'm going to go wait by the stage. Come get me when you're done here," I say, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him.

Rachel makes a small noise of disgust, and I whisper where I'll actually be into Percy's ear.

"bye girls!" I chirp, walking down the hall and turning so I'm out of sight, but can still hear all that they say.

"So, Percykins, why are you dating Annabitch Chase? Why would you choose to be with her, when you could have me?" Rachel says.

"Umm… RED? Could you maybe stop rubbing my arm? And don't call my girlfriend a bitch- MMMMMFFFPPPHHHHH" Percy says, before being cut off by something. I nervously peek around the corner and see something I'd never wanted to see: Rachel Elizabeth Dare kissing my boyfriend. This time, instead of kissing back, he stayed lock jawed, his eyes wide in horror as he struggled to escape her vice-like grip.

"I can't believe I have to save him again," I mutter, pulling out my phone and walking a little farther away.

"Percy? Malcolm wants to talk to you! Percy!" I shout, stepping closer and closer to the hallway.

"Percy! Oh there you- oh. I'll leave then," I say, lowering my voice and almost sprinting away, sounding like I'm crying.

I hide in a closet about 20 feet away.

"What did you do? Now my girlfriend is mad at me!" Percy shouts.

"I got her out of the way, silly! Now there's nobody stopping us from getting back together!" Rachel chirps, sounding genuinely happy for the first time.

"Except my morals," Percy says. His footsteps grow louder, then fainter as he passes.

I pop out of the closet and run to catch up with Percy.

"Oh thank gods! Wise Girl, I can explain," Percy starts.

"No need. I saw it happen. Malcolm wasn't really on the phone; I just needed an excuse for her to let you go," I say, jogging towards the gym.

"I owe you," He says.

"No you don't, you would've done the same for me," I reply, pulling open the gym doors and slipping inside.

"Wanna go out on our first official date tomorrow?" Percy whispers.

I nod.

"I'll pick you up at 5?" he whispers again as we go to sit on the bleachers. I nod again, and begin to head far away from Percy, since I hear the excited squeals that mean that the popular girls are nearby.

"We should fake an argument after class to make Red think that she won. I'll let our friends know so they don't kill you," I say, walking over to our friends.

I tell them about what happened, being sure to look over at Percy with a sad look on my face. Nobody who knows me well would have been fooled, but Rachel bought it. The girls look _murderous_ , and the boys glare where Percy is being ambushed by the Drew Crew. Coach dismisses us, and I'm careful to purposely bump into Percy

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry," he says, glancing behind him, where Rachel is waiting.

"Why would you do this?" I whisper, breaking eye contact to look down at my shoes.

"She kissed me, I swear, I'd never hurt you like that!" he shouts, drawing attention to our argument.

"You turned your back on me and went to her last year. What's stopping you from abandoning us again?" I scream back.

" C'mon Beth, you know me almost as well as I know myself. You know that I'd never cheat!" he says.

"Well, maybe I don't know you as well as I thought I did. Goodbye Percy. Go home and think about what you did. When you make a decision on who you want, let me know," I say, throwing my hands up and storming into the locker room.

"Hey, Annabeth?" Reyna whispers, sneaking in after me.

"What's up Reyna?" I ask, tugging on my dress.

"I just wanted to apologize for what Rachel did. It was a really rude thing to do, and I'll do anything in my power to make sure she gets what she deserves. And that goes for all of the popular girls. I'm sick of them pushing people around. I wanna bring them down. Will you help me?" she asks.

"Rey, we're already working to bring them down, but I do know something you can do to help. You're close to all of the populars, right?" I reply, shutting my gym locker and turning to face her.

"yeah. What do you need me to do?" she says, pulling on her shorts and reaching for her purple tank top.

"I need you to be our inside man. Any plan that Rachel, Drew, or Khione have, you need to tell us. We'll try to save your reputation from going down the drain with the rest of theirs. Give me your phone; I'll enter my number into it so you can text us with any updates. I'll tell you when to skip lunch and hide somewhere to avoid drama, and I'll drop you off some food," I say.

"I'm in. and can I just say, you and Percy were really cute together and I hope you can work it out," Reyna says, bending down to put on her shoes.

"Oh, we're fine! That was all an act. Trust me; I've known Percy since diapers. I really do know him better than he knows himself. I was walking towards the auditorium and I had a feeling that he was in trouble, so I came back. I saw Rachel kissing him while he struggled to get away; so I created a plan to help him escape! That's when I walked back over," I reply, quickly texting the group to let them know about Reyna's involvement.

"one last thing. Who's Malcolm?" she says, beginning to walk over to the popular girls, who were streaming in through the doors.

"My older brother. He wasn't even on the phone. I just needed an excuse to get Percy out," I say.

"Why were you talking with _Chase?_ " Rachel sneers once Reyna gets over to them.

"I was trying to find out if she and Percy are officially over yet," Reyna answers, lying through her teeth.

"Well are they?" Drew asks.

"No. she says it's his choice," Reyna says.

"I'm sure he'll pick you Rachel, I mean look at her then look at you! You're way prettier," Khione says.

I walk out the doors and see Percy waiting for the guys outside.

 _Did you pick yet?_ I text, smiling as Percy pulls out his phone.

 _Yeah… I picked u (of course). I'm announcing after final period._ He replies.

 _You know, even though my biological dad and your mother are business rivals, I'm glad we decided to stick together anyway._ Percy says.

You see, my mother left when I was about 6, and Percy's father left right after he was born. My mom is Athena, the CEO of an architecture company known as Olive Branch Architecture. Percy's father is Poseidon, who's famous for running a cruise ship company. Years before we were even born, our parents got into a huge fight. Apparently, there was a shortage of ready materials for Mom's company to build a new house, and Poseidon's company suddenly had a huge increase in ships and

 _Only because you had your mother's last name, and we didn't know about Poseidon being your dad until you were twelve. Also, we're not anything like our parents. I'm into music, and you're one of the calmest people in the school._ I reply, giggling.

 _See u in an hour,_ I say, turning and walking towards my math class.

I take my seat and begin to copy the problems on the board. After a boring class, I pack up my stuff and head over to the front entrance. Rachel isn't far behind me, and I see Percy walk up to us.

"Did you decide yet?" I ask once he stops.

"Yeah," he says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"well, who'd you pick? Me or…" Rachel says, glaring at me.

"Umm… Annabeth?" he says.

"WHAT?" Rachel screams. Everyone looks over at us.

"umm… I picked Annabeth," Percy says, stepping in front of me.

"WHY? Rachel's much prettier?" Drew screeches.

"Maybe to you, but I'm more of Blonde type of guy. Anyways, Annabeth's my best friend, and I can trust her. She's the actual best person for me to be with, you know?" Percy says.

Reyna winks at us, and drags a hysterical Rachel off to the bathroom.

"Nicely said, Percy. And if you even _think_ about cheating on me, I'll castrate you and send all of your embarrassing baby pictures around the school. Are we clear?" I say sweetly.

All the guys around me flinch, and Percy just laughs.

"Crystal. And you forget that you're in half of those. Now let's go! We've got to pick up our children!" he says, forming air quotes around 'children'.

"Ah yes, my half-brothers, or according to the media, our sons," I say, rolling my eyes and hopping into the car.

Argus pulls out of the parking lot and heads to the elementary school. I lean on Percy's shoulder and glance around at my friends. Thalia and Nico sit holding hands and listening to music. I can hear the faint sounds of Green Day playing through their headphones. Piper is adding tiny braids into Jason's hair, and Jason is doing his homework. Hazel is currently giggling at some odd joke that Frank told, and Leo and Callie are laughing at something on Leo's phone. We pull into the school parking lot and Percy and I hop out of the car to grab my brothers. I see them on the stairs, huddled up with their friends.

"Matt! Bobby! Let's go! I gotta pick up some stuff!" Percy shouts.

"I'll go help them pack up," I say, jogging over.

I grab some of their trading cards and put them away.

"What are you doing?" one of their friends asks.

"I'm sorry boys, but I've got to get these two home right away. Maybe you can trade on Monday!" I say.

"But they were part of a bet," another boy whines.

"Mini Monsters! What did you bet?" I scream.

"They didn't believe that we knew the Sirens, and we owed our best Pokémon cards to the winner. Sorry sis," Bobby says.

"Wanna help us out?" Matthew asks.

"Fine, but you owe me." I reply, passing off my bag to Percy, who was coming over to help.

"Who are you anyways?" another child says.

I say nothing, but I pull down my sunglasses and pull my hair out of its ponytail.

"OH MY GOD! YOU'RE ANNABETH CHASE! Does that mean Bobby and Matthew were telling the truth?" the people involved in the bet squeak. The twins snort and collect their winnings.

"Yep. I'm their older half sister. Boys! Car! Now! We've got to pick up your stuff for the weekend!" I say, herding them back over to the car.

I hop in, and Argus drives over to my former home.

"Mal!" my brothers and I squeal, running into his arms.

"Hey guys! Ready to spend time together?" he says, pushing his suitcases into the trunk.

Percy and Nico look horrified as Malcolm squeezes in between them.

I get everyone except for Percy and Nico upstairs.

"So, boys, I hear you're dating two of my little adoptive siblings. Who?" Malcolm says.

"Uhh… I'm dating Annabeth and Nico and Thalia got together recently," Percy stutters.

"Congrats! So, I have a few rules. 1: there will be no sneaking in or out of this house between 1 AM and 9 AM. I trust you guys, but if you need to sneak out for a date without permission, the date is probably not a good idea. 2: you cannot be in a bedroom alone with them without the door open. 3: If you even think about hurting my little girls, I will not hesitate to kill you. Do I make myself clear?" Malcolm says, as I sneak down the stairs.

There is silence for a few moments.

"Good. Go back upstairs boys. And quit shaking. You look like you've seen a demon," Malcolm says.

I rush up the stairs, grab my sketchpad, and sit out on my balcony. I hear the door slide open behind me.

"Hey Blondie. What are you doing?" Percy says, plopping down next to me.

"Designing a building. As much as I love the Sirens, it can't last forever. I need to have a backup plan, and I picked Architecture," I say, sketching out the front entrance, and adding a few columns.

"Smart. Always stay ahead," Percy replies.

"anyways, I should probably work on music right now," I say, putting the sketchbook down.

My phone rings. I put it up to my ear, and answer the call.

"Annabeth. They've found where you live. They are coming to split up your group," Reyna says. Her voice echoes.

"Where are you four?" I ask, trying to figure out how much time we have left.

"We're at a gas station 5 minutes from your house. I'm holding them up as long as possible, so I'm in the bathroom. They saw your car by the elementary school, and followed it back to your place. Drew has the address. I'm so sorry," Reyna whispers.

"It's okay. We're ready for them. Thanks Rey ," I say, hanging up.

"What's wrong?" Percy asks.

"Reyna called. Drew and RED figured out our address. They're on their way over now. She's trying to stall them. We've got 5 minutes," I say.

"Everyone! Living room! Now!" I scream.

"Rey just told Annabeth that the popular girls have your address. They are about 3 minutes away. Get ready," Percy says.

Thalia pulls out a go pro and tucks it into Nico's beanie, with only the lens visible through his dark hair. Even then, if you weren't looking for it, the camera was nearly invisible. He turns it on as we all lounge around the room.

"Movie night?" Bobby asks.

Matthew and Bobby take one of the chairs, wrapping blankets around their small frames. Percy and I curl up on the couch, and I see Malcom glare at us. Percy puts his hands up in surrender, and I just roll my eyes.

"Mal, he's fine. You've known him since he was a baby. If he even tries anything, I'll kill him," I say.

"Same with me and Nico," Thalia says, snuggling deeper into her large beanbag chair. Nico scoots in, until he is also on the seat.

Hazel and Frank sit on the loveseat, as Piper and Jason relax on top of a chair. Malcom snags the last chair, so Leo and Callie sprawl across a mound of pillows.

"I'm ordering pizza. What do you guys want?" Malcom says as Matthew puts in _Back to the Future._

"Plain and Pepperoni," Thalia says.

The doorbell rings. I groan and go to the door. As I open it, I catch a glimpse of slightly frizzed red hair, a flawless pin straight sheet of black hair that could only belong to Reyna, Khione's platinum blond hair, and Drew's flawless sheet of dyed blonde hair.

"What on earth are you doing here?" I say.

Drew forces the door open with a heeled boot. They all rush in.

"Ahh! Why are you here?" Nico shouts, jumping off his chair. I glimpse the little red light that proves that the camera hidden in his hair is filming.

"We're here to save you from these manipulative bitches!" Khione says.

"Hey! Watch your language! My little brothers are right there!" I shout.

Malcolm enters from the kitchen, carrying his phone.

"Heya handsome," Drew purrs.

"Sis, I'm heading over to Dad's place to pick up the pizza. I figured that you didn't want pizza guys knowing where you live. See you in ten minutes," he says, grabbing his coat.

"Mal! Take the Mini Monsters with you! They need to pick up a few of their video games anyway," I say, without turning away from the girls.

"So, who's the hottie?" Drew says once my siblings leave.

Thalia chokes on her soda and Percy snorts.

"that was my older brother," I say, rolling my eyes and gesturing to the girls to help me.

"Seriously? How is he so good looking, yet you ended up like _THAT_?" Rachel squeals.

"Percy, I know you're standing up to intervene. I don't need you to. I can handle myself," I say, hearing the faint squeaking noise that means somebody is getting off the couch.

"How are you two able to read each other's minds like that?" Leo says.

"I've dealt with him for years. When you've known someone for 15 years, you tend to know how they think. For example, there is an 85% chance that Percy is thinking about getting food. Percy, there's blue food coloring in the cabinet to the right of the sink." Percy nods, and walks over to the kitchen. "See?" I say.

"That's creepy, how come you guys are the only ones who can do that? Not even Thals and J Bird can do that, and they shared a womb!" Leo says.

I shrug.

"Alright, so we'll just take the boys and go," Rachel says.

"Not a chance Dare," Percy sneers, bringing two bowls of popcorn into the room.

"These girls are our family. We don't turn our backs on family," Jason says

"Oh, now you get all high and mighty! Let's go boys," Khione says.

"No. I'm staying with my best friends and girlfriend. Goodbye," Nico says.

"Frank?" Drew asks, checking her manicure

"No way!" Frank screams.

"Out. Of. ." Thalia growls.

"You'll be sorry," Rachel screeches.

"You come within 500 feet of this house, and I'll have a restraining order faster than you can say 'last season Prada shoes'," Piper says, shoving them out

Reyna follows behind them, whispering apologies. The boys come back in, carrying 4 boxes of pizza. We eat in silence absorbed in the adventures of Marty McFly. My eyes slowly close about three quarters of the way through the movie, and I doze off on Percy's shoulder. I'm still slightly awake when Percy's arm winds its way around my shoulders. I think Nico is still filming, but I'm too tired to feel embarrassed. I know that if my friends or Malcolm see this, the teasing will be _ruthless_ , but I snuggle deeper into Percy's shoulder. _This possibly forbidden romance could ruin us both, but it won't happen tonight._


	7. Let it Snow?

Chapter 7

Percy's POV

Annabeth looked tired, so I let her rest on my shoulder. I try to focus on the movie, but even touching Annabeth makes me feel like i've stuck my finger in an electrical socket. I end up just looking down at her, smiling when I realize that she put on the owl earrings i got her for her 13th birthday.

"Guys! Movie's over! Time for bed!" Malcolm says. Annabeth groans and shoves her face deeper into the crook of my neck, giving me a whiff of her lemon scented shampoo. My phone begins to ring, and I pick it up.

"Who is it?" Thalia asks.

"No idea. Their number isn't in my phone," I say, finally answering.

"Hello Perseus," a booming voice says.

"Dad?"I say in amazement. Annabeth sits up almost immediately.

"Where are you son? I wanted to drop by and surprise you, but your mother said you were out. And have you been socializing with Athena's children? Because you know how I feel about that," Dad says.

"He's at my house Poseidon, sir. We had a group project to work on, so we're all before you ask, there are 3 adults in the house with us. Say hi to Percy's dad everyone!" Annabeth says, grabbing the phone out of my hands.

"Hi Percy's dad!" everyone says as Annabeth passes the phone back over to me.

"Okay. when will you be home? I want to spend all of tomorrow with you." he says. I curse under my breath, hoping he finds nothing wrong with my awkward silence.

"Umm… actually, I have plans tomorrow." I say.

"Well, cancel them. I'm only in town this weekend." he replies calmly.

"Dad, I'm helping the girls with a charity concert tomorrow. We're trying to raise money to fix up that orphanage 10 blocks away. You could swing by and we could hang out there?" I suggest.

"Why not afterwards?" he asks. _Dammit_.

"I may or may not be going out with Annabeth for celebratory ice cream?" I say, hoping that he doesn't yell.

"WHAT? YOU ARE PICKING THAT- THAT ATHENA SPAWN OVER YOUR FATHER?" Dad bellows.

"In my defense, I've known Annabeth for how long?" I say.

"15 years." she replies, getting off the couch and taking the empty bowls to the kitchen.

"Thanks Beth. And I've known that you were my father for how long now?" I say.

"4 years." Dad sighs.

"So yeah. You don't really get to decide who I choose to hang out with. Bye Dad. the concert's in the park at noon. Just follow the crowd of people and you should find us. Hope to see you there!" I say, hanging up.

"Hey, I've gotta go. Dad's murderous right now. I'll drop everyone off. I'll see you girls at ten." I say, grabbing my coat. Everyone piles out to the car, and I drive in silence. Tiptoeing into the house, I quickly go to bed.

My phone goes off at 7 AM, and I begrudgingly get up. Traipsing into the bathroom, I take a shower and get dressed in a pair of ripped skinny jeans and an oversized blue sweater that Annabeth made me freshman year. Hopping into the kitchen while putting on socks, I pour myself a glass of milk, and grab a bagel.

"Percy, honey, you forgot to brush your hair!" Mom says, sitting at the table, sipping a coffee. Grabbing a brush from my bedroom, I try to tame my permanent bedhead. Feeling satisfied, I tie my shoes and drive towards Annabeth's house, with everyone already there.

"Hey Perce. Is your dad going?" Annabeth greets.

"Yep. that means no couply stuff for us. You guys heard how he reacted when he found out that the two of us were still friends. Imagine when he finds out that we're dating," I say, shuddering.

"The news crews are going to be here in 20 minutes. Everyone ready?" Piper says.

"Yep. Mal took the Mini Monsters out to Coney Island, so we're good." Annabeth says.

We do some last minute cleaning, and Annabeth nervously straightens her dress as Thalia goes to answer the door.

"You look beautiful Wise Girl," I whisper as the TV crews come in. she smiles up at me, and i tune back in as the reporter finishes up her question.

"-made you want to do this?" the woman asks.

"Well, 9 out of the ten of us were born and raised here, and we've seen the local orphanage get more and more decrepit. In fact, the 9 of us used to volunteer there on weekends. There are more kids than ever being put there, and we decided to use our fame to _do something about it_." Annabeth says, looking into the camera.

"Even though I didn't grow up here, I spend time down there sprucing up the garden and teaching the children to grow their own food, so they can save some money. When Piper mentioned the idea, I was all for it." Callie says.

"I chose to help out because it hits really close to home," Leo says, choking up a little bit.

"Care to explain Mr Valdez?" the reporter says.

"My parents died in a fire last year. I was the only one to make it out. I would've been sent to the orphanage, but I tried to track down my older half brother. When I finally found him, the girls let the both of us stay here, along with his girlfriend." He says, his voice wobbling a bit.

"I'm helping out because the kids there are good kids. They deserve a good place to live," Jason says.

"I'm helping out because the building is falling apart. These kids don't deserve to live in a place where the ceiling tiles could fall in on them at any moment." Nico answers.

"I want these little boys and girls to be able to achieve their full potential, and that building isn't working as well as it used to," Hazel says.

"These kids have been dealt a tough enough hand already. I don't want them to have to worry about poor conditions." Thalia states.

"The last time the building was updated was in 1948. Some of the building techniques used back then are really unsafe." I say.

"These kids might not be as fortunate as we are, but they can be what they want to be. The woman who runs the orphanage doesn't have the money to keep them all fed and renovate the building, so we're taking some of those costs off her hands. That's our holiday gift to them." Piper says.

"Thank you for your time." the cameraman says, walking out.

We pile into the car, and Argus drops us off at the entrance. Some of the older children are there setting things up while the younger kids play hide and seek among the trees.

"Hey guys. We can't thank you enough for doing this! Miss Haines really needs the money." one of the older boys says.

"No problem. We love you guys!" Piper says, tuning her acoustic guitar .

Boys, go start directing people over to the stage." Annabeth says, taking a small sip of water.

(Annabeth's POV)

I climb up onto the stage, spotting the crowd of people swarming in.

"Last group's heading in now!" Callie shouts, holding up her phone.

I quickly test the microphones.

"Hey guys! We're the Sirens. Thank you for coming out to support the 39th Street Orphanage! So how about we get started. Now this song is something you might have heard if you've been on our Youtube channel recently. But first, please welcome our guest singer, and my good friend, Percy!" I say, sitting down on my stool. Percy walks out on stage, carrying his own stool and a mic.

"Hey guys! So, if you haven't been to their channel recently, I'd recommend it. The videos are fun to shoot, so I hope that they're fun to watch! Anyways, this song is called _Bright_. Whenever you're ready girls," he says, sitting down.

(Annabeth, _Percy,_ _Both_ )

I think the universe is on my side  
Heaven and Earth have finally aligned  
Days are good and that's the way it should be

 _You sprinkle star dust on my pillow case  
It's like a moonbeam brushed across my face  
Nights are good and that's the way it should be_

You make me sing oh, la, la, La

You make a girl go oh oh  
 _I'm in love,_ love _  
_  
 _Did you see that shooting star tonight?  
Were you dazzled by the same constellation?  
Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?  
I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right  
'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright  
Bright, so bright_

And I see colors in a different way  
 _You make what doesn't matter fade to grey  
_ Life is good and that's the way it should be

 _You make me sing oh, la, la, la  
_ You make a girl go oh oh  
I'm in love, _love_

 _Did you see that shooting star tonight?  
Were you dazzled by the same constellation?  
Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?  
I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right  
'Cause now I'm shining bright _(oh) _so bright  
_ _And I get lost (oh)_ in your eyes

Did you see that shooting star tonight?  
Were you dazzled by the same constellation?  
Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?

I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right  
 _I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right_  
 _I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right  
'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright_  
 _Bright, so bright  
_ Bright, so bright  
 _And I get lost in your eyes_ tonight

Piper strums the last chord, and the applause is deafening.

"Special thanks to Percy for doing this!" I say, hugging him as he turns to walk off the stage.

"Now this is one of our more well known songs," Thalia says.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , Hazel, **Thalia** , _**All**_ )

 _You think I'm pretty  
Without any makeup on_  
You think I'm funny  
When I tell the punchline wrong  
I know you get me  
So I let my walls come down, down

 **Before you met me  
I was alright but things  
Were kinda heavy  
You brought me to life  
**Now every February  
You'll be my Valentine, Valentine

 **Let's go all the way tonight**  
 _No regrets, just love_  
We can dance, until we die  
You and I, will be young forever

 _ **You make me feel  
Like I'm livin' a  
Teenage dream  
The way you turn me on  
I can't sleep  
Let's run away and**_  
 _Don't ever look back,  
_ Don't ever look back

 _ **My heart stops  
When you look at me  
Just one touch  
Now baby I believe  
This is real  
So take a chance and  
**_Don't ever look back,  
 **Don't ever look back**

 _We drove to Cali  
And got drunk on the beach_  
Got a motel and  
Built a fort out of sheets  
I finally found you  
My missing puzzle piece  
 **I'm complete  
**  
 **Let's go all the way tonight  
** _No regrets, just love_  
We can dance, until we die  
You and I, will be young forever

 _ **You make me feel  
Like I'm livin' a  
Teenage dream  
The way you turn me on  
I can't sleep  
Let's run away and  
**_ _Don't ever look back,  
_ Don't ever look back  
 _ **  
My heart stops  
When you look at me  
Just one touch  
Now baby I believe  
This is real  
So take a chance and  
**_Don't ever look back, _ **  
**_ **Don't ever look back  
** _ **  
**_ _I'mma get your heart racing_

In my skin-tight jeans  
Be your teenage dream tonight  
 **Let you put your hands on me**  
 **In my skin-tight jeans**  
 _ **Be your teenage dream tonight**_

Yoooouuu  
 _ **You make me feel  
Like I'm livin' a  
Teenage dream  
The way you turn me on  
I can't sleep  
Let's run away and  
**_ _Don't ever look back,  
_ Don't ever look back  
No  
 _ **  
My heart stops  
When you look at me  
Just one touch  
Now baby I believe  
This is real  
So take a chance and  
**_Don't ever look back, **  
** **Don't ever look back  
** _ **  
**_ _I'mma get your heart racing_ _ **  
**_In my skin-tight jeans _ **  
**_Be your teenage dream tonight  
 **Let you put your hands on me  
** _ **In my skin-tight jeans  
Be your teenage dream tonight  
**_(Tonight, _tonight_ , tonight, tonight, **tonight,** _tonight)_

The applause grows louder, and I glance out to see Percy talking with a tall black haired man that I can only assume to be Poseidon. Suddenly, a brunette with a tight bun stalks over to them. I'm forced to turn away and continue the concert.

(an hour later)

"Alright guys. Unfortunately, our time singing up here has come to an end. If you stick around for about 15 minutes, we will be signing autographs." Piper says, putting her guitar away.

We hurry off the stage before going to meet our friends. Percy grabs me and lifts me into a hug, with my toes barely touching the ground.

"I'm so proud of you Wise Girl," he whispers.

"Is that the sweater I made you freshman year?" I ask in awe.

"Yep." he says, laughing.

"Mister Jackson, kindly take your hands off my daughter." a cold voice says to my right.

With a strangled yelp, Percy puts me down.

"Mother," I say calmly, turning around to face her. Her brown hair is yanked back into a tight bun, and her grey eyes blaze with fury.

"Annabeth Minerva Chase, what made you think that associating with _Poseidon's son_ was a good idea?" she says, her voice rising.

"Percy's been my best friend for 15 years! You can't seriously expect me to throw away 15 years of friendship because of your stupid feud!" I say angrily.

"It won't last! He's just as idiotic as his father!" she shouts. Nobody turns our way, partially because our fight is hard to hear over the generally loud chattering of the crowd.

"Hi, um yes,I'm still here Athena." Percy says, rolling his eyes.

"Sweetheart, I'd suggest that you don't sass my mom." I say, turning back to my mother.

"Did you just call him sweetheart?" Mom asks. My eyes widen.

"Oh sh-" Percy starts, his eyes wide with fear. Poseidon pushes his way through the crowd, and comes over to my mother.

"Athena! How dare you insult my son?" Poseidon bellows.

"Well _Barnacle Beard_ , your son is a terrible influence on my daughter!" Mom screams.

"Run!" I hiss, grabbing Percy's hand and sprinting through the crowd. We get to the autograph table, and I look behind us to see that Poseidon is still arguing with my Mom.

"WHAT?" He bellows. The crowd goes silent.

"And she told him. Great. We're screwed." Percy says, groaning.

"Hey lovebirds! Where have you been? Off in the woods making out?" Thalia says. I frantically gesture for her to stop.

"What? Why ever would they be doing that?" Mom shrieks.

"Oh. that's why you wanted me to stop." Thalia mutters.

"Nice job Thals. Really, I applaud you." Percy says, rolling his eyes.

"Percy, would you mind going to calm the two of them down?" I ask, pointing at our parents.

"Fine, but if I get hurt, I will be bothering you for weeks." he replies, walking towards them.

"I put up with you bothering me for 15 years. I think I can handle it!" I say, before bending down to sign a young girl's notebook.

The next hour is a rush of signing stuff for our fans, but i wouldn't have it any other way. We're nearing the end of the line, and I look up to see how many people are left.

"Oh no," I groan, seeing 3 of the 4 popular girls in front of me.

"Rachel, can't this wait until Monday? We're trying to do something nice for our community, so if you're here to support that, great, but if not, you're holding up the line." I say, opening and closing my hand in an effort to stop the cramping.

"We're not here to support whatever you losers are doing! We're here to get what is rightfully ours!" Drew screeches.

"What would that be? And where's Reyna?" I ask.

"The boys, of course! And Rey had a dentist appointment," Khione says, rolling her icy blue eyes.

"Oh, will you just give it a rest?" Nico says.

"Yeah, we aren't going with you," Frank says.

"And why not?" Rachel says, face turning red with rage.

"I'm not turning my back on my sister again. I did that once, and it's the worst mistake i've ever made." Jason says.

"And what about you Percy, hmm? Would you be willing to leave behind these _freaks_ for me?" Rachel purrs, stroking his arm.

"Little help here Beth!" Percy says, trying to evade Rachel.

Groaning, I get up and storm over to them.

"And just _what_ do you think you're doing?" I say.

"Kissing my boyfriend. Duh!" she says, rolling her green eyes.

"I broke up with you almost 3 months ago! Will you leave me alone?" Percy says, wrenching his arm away.

"Silly! I know you want to get back together!" Rachel says.

"Are you crazy? My girlfriend would _kill me!"_ Percy shouts.

"True," I say, crossing my arms.

"Why don't you go back to your little cronies _Chase_?" Rachel sneers.

"Because she fights her own battles! She doesn't need us for backup!" Piper says from her spot at the table. The crowd is silent, looking back and forth between us.

"Look Rachel, just give up. I'm happy where I am now. Look for somebody else to bother." Percy says, turning away.

"This is all your fault Chase!" she screams, lunging at me.

"How is this my fault?" I ask.

"If you hadn't come back, Percy would still be with me!" she shrieks.

"Woah woah woah. I was planning on dumping you anyway! Don't blame this on her!" Percy says.

"Oh, I'm going to blame her. You never said anything about wanting to break up until she got here." Rachel says.

"Sure, I'll give you that one, but can you just leave her alone?" Percy replies.

" Why are you so desperate to get him back?" I ask.

"You know why."

"No I don't, and unless you care to explain, I've got fans waiting." I say.

"Bye Blondie. We're still on for tonight right?" Percy replies.

"Wouldn't miss it!" I say, turning and sitting back in my chair.

I sigh, grabbing my pen, and sign things for the remaining few fans.

"We're all done here, but thank you for coming out to support the 39th Street Orphanage! We are the Sirens, saying have a great night!" Piper says.

As the crowd disperses, the boys help us pack up.

"Ready to go?" Percy asks, placing a speaker into the back of the van.

"Just give me a few minutes to change, and then we can go." I say, heading for the nearest bathroom.

Running into the nearest stall, I change into a pair of black leggings, and one of Percy's old swim team hoodies.

"There's an ice cream place a block over. We can go there," Percy suggests.

"Sounds great!" I say, grabbing his hand and walking towards the shop.

"Welcome to Tastee- Freez. How may I help you?" the cashier says.

"I'll take a cotton candy" Percy says.

"I'll take chocolate please," I say, scanning the list of options.

"Chocolate? You're so boring!" Percy says, smirking.

"If you don't shut up, this ice cream's going in your face," I reply sweetly, holding up Percy's cotton candy ice cream.

'Fine. let's go. I need to get you home before-" he says, getting cut off by the bright flash of a camera. "That," he finishes, groaning as he rubs his eyes.

I slap 15 dollars down on the counter, screaming "Keep the change" over my shoulder as we sprint out of the store, and run the half mile back to the mansion.

"Are they following us?" I pant.

"No idea, but I gotta get home before Dad gets even more angry. See you Monday," he wheezes, as he heads for his beat up Prius.

I wave as he pulls out of the driveway, before I turn and head inside.

(Percy's POV)

I close the door behind me quietly, hoping to sneak past my parents, my father in particular.

"Perseus?" I hear my father say from the other room.

"Dammit," I say, walking into the room.

"Care to explain why you defied me and choose to socialize with that- that girl?" Dad says, his green eyes blazing with fury.

"Who, Beth? Because if you haven't noticed, I tend to socialize with a lot of girls Dad." I reply, rolling my eyes.

"Oh, is that what you call the Athena child?" Dad says, crossing his arms.

"Yes. and Dad, I choose to hang out with her because she just gets me, you know?" I say.

"You need to stop that son. Just think of how it looks for my business!" Dad says, just as my mom walks in with Paul.

"Poseidon, what are you asking my son to stop doing?" Mom asks, her voice steely calm and terrifying.

"Stop traipsing around town with that Annabeth girl. Their relationship looks terrible for my business." he replies.

"What? Are you crazy?" my mom shrieks.

"Annabeth's the most level headed girl I've ever met!" Paul says.

"You will not be asking Percy to break up with his girlfriend and lose his friends over your dumb rivalry!" Mom screams. The lights across the street turn on.

"Guys, can you quiet down? The neighbors are waking up." I say.

"And what do you mean girlfriend? You can't be serious, how long?" Dad says.

"Since Halloween," I mutter, praying that he doesn't freak out.

"Well, this won't do. You're going to have to dump her." he says, examining his nails.

"Poseidon, you can't be serious!" Mom says.

"Listen, you pompous jerk. I typically don't get this angry, but you're messing with my son's happiness, and that just isn't okay with me." Paul growls, getting into Dad's face.

"He isn't your biological son," Dad says.

"He's acted more like a father than you ever have _Dad_." I sneer.

"And Dad, why won't you let me be happy? I really like Annabeth, and you're already trying to ruin it!" I say, taking shaky breaths.

My phone goes off with a text from Annabeth.

 _CHECK E! NOW!_ , it says.

I quickly pull up the website, almost laughing. _Annabeth Chase's new man?_ Wow. _I wonder who they think it is this time,_ I think. Wait… is that ME?

"Damn it. How'd they know? Did the paparazzi sell the photos or find the announcement video that quickly?" I mutter.

"What?" Mom asks.

"The Paparazzi have figured it out. Oh Gods. Whatever you do, don't turn on any celebrity gossip channels." I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose.

My phone goes off again.

 _Somebody got the Dare meltdown on camera. It's trending,_ Annabeth sends.

Oh no. this isn't good. Now we're all screwed.

"Mom!" i say, watching in horror as she turns on the TV.

"I just want to see what they're saying about my little boy!" Mom says.

"So this boy in the picture to my right is Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase's supposed boyfriend. From what little we know about him, we can tell that he's known Ms. Chase for an extremely long time, is one of her classmates, is on his school's swim team, and is Poseidon Olympiad's son. It's common knowledge that Annabeth is Athena's daughter. Can you smell the drama? Anyways, this isn't the first time we've seen the two of them together, as you can see by this picture," the reporter says, pulling up the pictures of the breakfast place. "Now, according to Ms. Chase, the two small children are her her younger half brothers, so it is safe to assume that he is close with them too. The two of them have often been the brunt of hidden camera pranks, and much teasing. Best of luck to the happy couple!" the reporter finishes.

"Oh Gods," I groan.

"Are you… BLUSHING?" Paul exclaims.

"It's gone too far for you two to break up. I suppose I can deal with it," Dad says.

That's the closest I'll ever get to an okay with my father. Satisfied, I turn and walk into my bedroom.

"Hey Beth, it's me. My dad approves. You don't have to call back or anything. Just thought you should know. See you Monday!" I say into my phone, getting Annabeth's voicemail.

(Annabeth's POV)

I flop down on the couch next to Piper, who happens to be bent over her phone.

"Who're you texting?" I ask, poking her arm.

"Just Jason," she replies, blushing.

"Ooh, did he finally ask you out?" Thalia says, launching herself onto the other side of the couch.

"Nope," Piper says, stretching her arms.

"He will soon Pipesqueak. He's been asking me for help, so he's definitely asking somebody out." Thalia says, hugging us goodnight before heading upstairs.

"G'd night Pipes," I say, walking into my bedroom.

Curling up under my sheets, I doze off.

(Skip to Monday.)

I slip out of bed and quickly hop into the shower, tugging a pair of dark skinny jeans over my legs and pulling my gray sweater over my messy ponytail. As i walk out of the bathroom. I tug my hair out of its ponytail, letting the curly mass spiral down my back. Pulling my converse onto my feet, i look out the window. The entire ground is dusted white with snowflakes, and snow still falls to the ground. As I slip a beanie over my hair, i can't help but hum _Let it Snow._

"Let's go!" i shout, hopping into the car, with everyone hot on my heels.

I sit listening to everyone talk, while writing out a few more lyrics of a new song.

"Whatcha writing?" Percy asks, poking me in the ribs.

"Just a new song. It's not important, really." i reply.

"So am I going to have to tickle you, or are you going to show me?" he asks, snickering.

"Oh! Sure! Just let me finish!" i say.

"Never mind then." Percy says, groaning.

"So, winter break's in 3 weeks. What are we doing?" Piper asks.

"Well, the Sirens are staying local. I'm on Mini Monster duty all break." I say.

"Great. I'm stuck with Dad and Persephone unless i can find a place to go." Nico says.

Hazel clears her throat, narrowing her eyes at Nico.

"I'm hanging out with the girls I guess." Nico replies.

"I'm not spending Christmas with Dad, so I'll just hang out with Thals." Jason says.

"Or are you trying to get closer to a special someone? Beauty Queen McLean perhaps?" Percy says, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Are you serious bro?" Jason says, reddening and slapping Percy's arm.

Leo snickers.

"I'll buy the mistletoe!" Callie says.

"Let's do it! I can't wait to see how many people have to kiss the bad boy supreme!" Leo says.

"Easy there Leo. Calm down." Frank says.

We pull into the parking lot, watching powdery flakes land in the trees.

"Let's get inside before the snow gets worse," Hazel says, her dark hair peppered with white flakes, and whipping around in the bitter wind. She shivers and tucks her hands into her thick sweater.

"Yeah. Poor Haze is about to fall over." Piper says, yanking her green cap over her ears and giving her matching scarf another wrap around her neck.

Leo grabs the door handle, and we all rush inside to avoid the cold. As I walk over to my locker, I remove my hat and shake the snow out of my hair. Thalia is close behind me, brushing snow off of the shoulders of her silvery gray and black shirt.

"Hey Babe, my place at 8?" a boy says to my left.

"I'm sorry, I don't hook up with people whose names I don't know. If you gave me your name, I might consider it." I reply sweetly.

"Ooh this is gonna be good," Thalia mutters, pulling out her phone.

"My name's Damien White. So what d'ya say?" he says.

"Well, Damien is it? I happen to be happily dating somebody, and even if I wasn't, I wouldn't be desperate enough to screw you!" I say loudly. Percy looks over, but I wave him away.

"C'mon babe, don't be like that." Damien says, stroking my face.

I grab his arm and flip him over onto the laminate floor as Thalia sidesteps.

"It seems like you got this one in the bag." Percy says, stepping over Damien's body.

"Yep. I didn't agree to go out with you just to cheat on you with some desperate jock." I say, unlocking my locker and putting my hat and jacket inside.

"Hey!" Damien says, pushing himself up.

"Shut it. You tried to mess with my best friends." Thalia says, her electric blue eyes blazing with fury.

He scrambles to his feet and runs away, shoving through the crowds.

"Well, that took care of him," Percy says as our friends wander over to us.

" We've got music, let's go." Piper says.

"Good morning class. Since you were so good last week, we're doing karaoke today instead of actual work. Can somebody help me set this up?" the teacher says, once we all take our seats.

"On it!" Leo cries, running forward and fiddling with the machine for a few minutes before returning to his seat.

"Who wants to go first?" she asks.

The room is silent, and she looks to me for help.

"I'll test it out I guess," I say, groaning.

"Of course the famous musician goes first." Octavian grumbles.

"Nobody else is willing to go first, and I'm doing this to help Ms. Aoide. What's your excuse Augur?" I say, making my way up to the mic.

"Burn!" Leo shouts.

"Shut it Valdez." Callie says, slapping his arm.

"So, I'll just start now." I say, placing one hand on the microphone.

 _Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

 _Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

 _All your life_

 _You were only waiting for this moment to arise._

 _Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

 _Take these sunken eyes and learn to see_

 _All your life_

 _You were only waiting for this moment to be free._

 _Blackbird fly Blackbird fly_

 _Into the light of the dark black night._

 _Blackbird fly Blackbird fly_

 _Into the light of the dark black night._

 _Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

 _Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

 _All your life_

 _You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

 _You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

 _You were only waiting for this moment to arise._

"The mic cut off about halfway through," I say.

"Oh well. Guess we have to go without." Ms. Aoide says.

"Now what?" Drew says.

"Pips, what are you staring at?" I ask, watching her stare out the window.

"The snow's really picking up out there! Look!" she says, pointing to the ground. I can no longer see the bushes outside our window, and the tree just 20 feet away is almost impossible to see through the blizzard.

"Woah," Hazel breathes.

"I hope everybody's okay," Thalia says.

"We might get stuck in the building if this doesn't stop," I whisper.

"Since there's no karaoke, how about we do a video?" Hazel says.

"But of course," Thalia replies.

"Guys! We're filming! Get in the shot!" Piper says. Our friends scramble over, and Thalia leans her phone against a backpack.

"Hey guys! We're the Sirens, back yet again with another reading your comments!" I say.

"And you of course, probably know these people. Say hello guys!" Piper says.

"Hi," our friends say in unison.

"So let's get started. Thalia, you first." Hazel says.

"MrAwesome74 asks: how long have you known each other? Well, we met Callie this year, Jay and I have known each other since birth, We met the rest of them in preschool, but Percy and Annabeth met when they were 1. Did I leave anyone out?" Thalia says.

"Nope! And LWfy2tr asks: do you guys have any odd abilities?" Piper says

"Yep! Thals and Jay are immune to electricity, but nobody knows why. Percy can hold his breath for ridiculous amounts of time, Annabeth can essentially read Percy's mind and is scary good at arts and crafts, Frank is oddly good at making animal noises and archery, Hazel can find almost anything underground, Nico can almost blend in with everything, I'm unnaturally persuasive, and Leo can fix nearly anything and is oddly resistant to fire. Cal, any odd abilities?" Piper answers.

"Umm… not really. I'm pretty average." Callie says.

"Nonsense! You're the only one who can control Leo! That's gotta count for something!" I whisper in her ear.

"True." Thalia says.

"Since I know that people are going to be asking about the mind reading thing, care to demonstrate?" Frank says.

"Fine. Perce, write down whatever you're thinking on this piece of paper and give it to Hazel." I reply.

"Done," he says, handing the folded paper to Hazel.

"Hmm. based on this weekend, I'm assuming that you're thinking about Poseidon approving of our relationship, winter break, or blue things. I'm going with winter break. Hazel, if you please?" I answer.

She unfolds the paper, turning it towards the camera.

"Winter break. Annabeth does it again!" Hazel says.

"Seriously, how do you do that? It's _creepy_ " Leo cries, shuddering.

"She's known me for 15ish years now. She gets how I think." Percy says.

"Same with him. He gets how I think. He can only narrow it down to two things, but that's pretty impressive." I say.

"Really? I've only seen Annabeth do it!" Callie gasps.

"Yep. There's a 50/50 chance that she's thinking of either architecture or a new song that she's writing." Percy replies, smirking.

"Correct." I say.

"That's still pretty creepy." Leo says.

"Not really. I mean, have you seen Nico's smile? That's creepy." Thalia says.

"Betrayed! By my own girlfriend! Oh wait, nevermind. That's actually pretty accurate." Nico shouts.

"So if you guys wouldn't mind, I'd like to continue with the video before we have to go to class. Annabeth?" Piper says.

"Yuzuki Studios asks, 'how did you girls decide to leave behind your friends and family to get famous?'. Well, we'd already posted our first video on the channel, and we decided that if it did well, we would give the music thing a shot. See, we were being bullied because these dorks are some of the most popular kids in school." I reply.

"Sorry bout that," Percy interrupts.

"Yeah Bethie. Sorry." Leo says.

"Leo, you weren't that popular!" Thalia cries.

"Anyways, we didn't know how the video was doing, and the popular girls got really angry at us for hanging around with those guys, because our friendships defied all logic or something stupid like that. Apparently, nerds, punks, wallflowers, and quirky girls aren't supposed to socialize with the jocks here. So, the girls did something that caused us to run out of the school, and we decided to give the music business a chance. I don't really regret it." I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Even though you didn't see me for a year?" Percy asks, pouting.

"Yep! I missed you guys at first, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It'd be like you getting to the Olympics, but you'd have to spend all your free time training. You wouldn't see me for awhile, but you never know if that opportunity would come again." I reply, glancing over at Reyna.

"Okay, that makes sense. I understand why you did it now." Frank replies, staring at Hazel, a telltale blush spreading across his cheeks.

"So are we answering questions or having a heart to heart?" Leo asks.

"Shut it Repair Boy. they're getting closure. Just give it time." Callie says, swatting the back of his head.

"Anyways, that concludes this episode of Answering Your Questions! Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe!" Hazel says, turning off the camera.

"Alright, so what are we doing now?" Percy asks.

"No idea." Frank says.

"Well, I'm starting a braid train. Who's in?" Piper says, motioning to an empty section of the room.

"I'm in Pipes!" Hazel chirps.

"I'm cool with it." Thalia says

"Sure!" Callie says, running her fingers through her hair.

"Fine," I groan, plopping down behind Hazel.

My phone goes off with a text from Matthew.

 _Hey Annie, Bobby and I are going to our friend Tommy's house on Friday. No need to pick us up from school, but can you pick us up at noon on Saturday?_ He asks.

 _Sure! I just need the address,_ I reply.

"Guess who's off Mini Monster duty for Friday and Saturday morning?" I say.

"No way! I don't have to hide our laundry and pranking supplies!" Thalia shrieks.

"I love them like they're my own sons, but FREEDOM!" Percy cheers.

"Percy, you forget that according to the paparazzi, those two are our sons!" i say, braiding a couple strands of Hazel's hair.

"What? You two have TWO CHILDREN TOGETHER?" Rachel screams from behind us.

I slump over onto Hazel's shoulder, giggling. Percy's crying of laughter; Piper snorts; Thalia lies on the ground; feet kicking the air as she guffaws, Callie snickers behind her hand; Hazel clutches her stomach, howling with laughter; Frank chuckles a bit, looking down at Leo, who is on the ground, convulsing as tears force their way out of his eyes; Jason snickers, before finally succumbing to a laughing fit. Nico doesn't really laugh, but he cracks a wide and creepy smile.

"Aren't you going to answer Rachel's question?" Drew screeches.

"Nah, but I'm sure our sons would like to hear about this, right Percy?" I wheeze.

"Most definitely. Call them," Percy says, wiping a few tears from his eyes.

"Hey Sis, what's up?" Bobby says, putting his phone on video mode, so i can see the two of them and their friends hanging out on the stairs of their school.

"People found out about the Paparazzi run-in. Mind telling them that you two aren't my sons?" I ask, turning my phone towards Rachel and Drew.

"Even though Annabeth and Percy are much more fun than Mom and Dad, they aren't our parents." Bobby says.

"Yeah. the two of them are just my lame older sister and her friend with benefits." Matthew smirks.

Percy, who had chosen that moment to take a sip of water, chokes and reddens as everyone turns to stare at the two of us.

"Oh My Gods! Matthew James Chase, I know you did not just say that!" I scream, hanging up before he can embarrass us more.

"Nice job Jackson, didn't know you had it in you!" Ethan Nakamura shouts.

"Technically, I think he had it in Annabeth," one of the cheerleaders says, popping her gum.

"And you were such a good girl too! What happened Owl Head?" Jason says dramatically.

"Well, you know what they say Sparky. 'Good girls are bad girls that haven't been caught' C'mon Seaweed Brain, we have -err- things to do." I say, grabbing his hand and yanking him out the door.

"In the school? Wow guys, so classy. Try not to leave any hickeys, or Silena's going to murder you both." Thalia says as i reach to slam the door behind me.

"Use Protection!" Hazel screams.

"Our little girl grew up so fast. One minute she's taking her first step, and the next she's sneaking out of class to hook up with her best friend in the Janitor's closet!" Piper says, fake crying into Jason's shirt.

"Go get 'em, tiger." Leo says.

"Make sure Blofis doesn't catch you again!" Frank says as I slam the door.

"Oh my gods. Thanks to Matthew, our entire class is convinced that we're sleeping together. I'm gonna wring his scrawny little neck. And why are we heading towards your locker? " Percy grumbles as I drag him to my locker.

"I'm testing how far this one will go before we have to stop it. Now hold still, i'm giving you a few fake hickeys. Pat them dry if you go swimming." I say, dusting makeup over the side of his neck.

"Fine, but you need a few hickeys too, and probably some really messy hair to make this believable." he says, roughly running his hands through my hair.

"I think we're good. Ready to plant ourselves in the Janitor's closet?" I ask, adding a couple finishing touches to the hickey on my collarbone.

"Ready as I'll ever be." he replies, turning the knob and slipping inside. We stand in silence for a while before a noise catches my attention.

"Somebody's coming!" I whisper, grabbing two fistfuls of his shirt and pulling him towards me. His hands wind around my waist, and I hear the footsteps stop outside the door.

"Y'all are nasty. And are those hickeys? Sil's gonna murder you both." Piper says, throwing open the door, with our friends hot on her heels. Percy doesn't move his lips off of mine, but he grabs the door and slams it in her face.

"Guys, seriously. We need you to come back. Brunner is coming to visit our class, and he's going to notice that you two aren't here." Callie says.

"Fine." I groan, opening the door and pulling Percy out of it.

"Oh my gods." Frank whispers upon seeing our appearance.

"You two have to cover that up, or Brunner is going to catch on real quick." Hazel says, gesturing to our fake hickeys.

"Oh my gods, _Percy_. How'd you give me a hickey this big?" I ask, holding my phone up to my collarbone

"Let me see." Thalia says, pulling Piper over to us.

"That is a big one. And look at Kelp Head's neck!" Piper cackles, moving my hair to cover the makeup on my neck.

"Oh my… Annabeth! Who knew you were capable of something like this?" Jason says, dragging us back towards the classroom.

"I'll cover it up Gracie." Percy says.

Jason opens the back door, and we sneak inside. We plop down near the guitars in the back of the room.

"Has your mom talked to you at all since Sunday?" Percy whispers.

"Nope, but I don't really expect much from her. She's off doing bigger and better things, so hopefully she won't interfere with us." I reply, looking forward as Mr. Brunner wheels into the room.

"Are Jackson and Chase still in the Janitor's closet? How are they going to sneak past Brunner?" A boy whispers.

"Good morning class. As I'm sure you have noticed, there is a blizzard happening outside. Due to the winds, one of the windows in Mrs. Dodd's classroom has shattered. For your own safety, all classes are to be relocated to the auditorium in 20 minutes. Pack up all of your belongings and wait for further instruction." Mr. Brunner says, before rolling out of the room.

"Did somebody get those two out of the closet?" A boy asks once our teacher leaves the room.

"No need. We're here." Percy says, shouldering his bag.

"Have fun in there?" Ethan asks, smirking as he fiddles with his eyepatch.

"Why yes. I had so much fun playing Flappy Bird squished between two mops." I deadpan, adjusting my clothing so the dark makeup doesn't show.

"That's not what Jackson's neck says." Luke smirks, pointing to Percy's neck.

"Shit, I need to cover that up!" I mutter, running over to Percy's neck with foundation in hand.

"Luke knows! Hold still, I need to cover my tracks." I hiss, brushing the fake bruise with foundation.

"Thanks! If Paul caught on, we'd never live it down! You remember the halloween incident right?" Percy says.

"I vote we never speak of that again." I groan.

"My dad found the aftermath, and that was one of the most awkward moments of my life." He chuckles.

"Oh my gods. Yep, we will not be bringing that up to anyone." I say as we slowly make our way to the auditorium.

"Heya lovebirds, how was the closet?" Thalia says, stepping in between us.

"It was fun, you and Di Angelo should try it sometime." Percy says, smirking as her face reddens.

"Yeah, that enclosed space really adds to the enjoyment." I reply, mimicking Percy's lopsided grin.

"Y'all are nasty! Oh my gods!" Thalia shrieks, running away.

"Did you see her face? Priceless!" I say, giggling behind my hand.

"She's telling Nico. this is gonna be good" Percy whispers, rubbing his hands together.

"Fish Face, Smartass, you two are disgusting!" Nico shouts from about ten feet behind us. People turn to stare at him.

"Are we really Neeks? We thought you two would enjoy it." Percy says, turning to face him. I grab his backpack and continue walking forward, pulling him along with me. Nico says nothing, and i give him a satisfied look as we plop down into some seats by the stage. Pulling out my book, i try to settle in for the day. About an hour passes before i hear Thalia start to complain.

"I'm bored." she drawls, flopping over her armrest into Piper's lap.

"What do you wanna do?" Piper asks, gently shoving Thalia back into her seat.

"No clue," Thalia whines.

"What's that you're muttering Annabeth?" Hazel asks. _I muttering? I didn't even notice!_

"It's nothing. Just a song I recently finished. It's loosely based off of Luke cheating on Thalia and using Piper's show warm ups." I reply, passing my songbook over to her.

"Ooh! This is really good! What's it called?" Hazel chirps as Thalia and Piper scan over the lyrics.

"I haven't come up with a title yet." I say, glancing down at my shoes.

"How about we run through it once and try to figure out a title?" Piper suggests.

"Good idea Teenie Weenie McLeanie." Leo says from Piper's left.

"Teenie Weenie McLeanie? Really Repair Boy?" she asks, rolling her eyes.

"Anyways, let's get it over with. Pipes, green highlighter. Haze, purple. Thals, blue. I've got yellow, and orange is all of us as usual." I say, gesturing to my book.

"Did you seriously color code your book?" Callie asks.

"Annabeth doesn't mess around when it comes to organization. Just you wait till she forces us to study with her for finals. You're never going to want to see another highlighter for as long as you live." Piper says.

"Can we just work out the song now?" I grumble.

"Fine." Piper says, turning back to us.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , Hazel, **Thalia** , _**All**_ )

Ah-ah, he-ey

 _Ah-ah, ah-ah_

Ah-ah, he-ey

 **Ah-ah, ah-ah**

 **He knows**

Dirty secrets that I keep

 _Does he know it's killing me?_

He knows, he knows

 **D-d-does he know**

 _Another's hands have touched my skin_

I won't tell him where I've been

 _He knows, he knows, he knows_

It's tearing me apart

 _ **She's slipping away**_

Am I just hanging on to all the words she used to say?

 _The pictures on her phone_

She's not coming home (I'm not coming home)

 **Coming home, coming home**

 _ **I know what you did last summer**_ (ah-ah)

 _ **Just lied to me, "there's no other"**_ (he-ey)

I know what you did last summer

Tell me where you've been

I know what you did last summer (ah-ah)

Look me in the eyes, my lover (he-ey)

I know what you did last summer

Tell me where you've been

I know, I know, I know, I know

I know, I know, I know (ah-ah)

(He-ey)

I know, I know, I know, I know

I know, I know, I know (ah-ah, ah-ah)

I didn't mean it, no, I didn't mean it, mean it, no

(Ah-ah, he-ey)

Can't seem to let you go, can't seem to hold you close

I know

When she looks me in the eyes

They don't seem as bright

No more, no more

I know

That she loved me at one time

Would I promise her that night

Cross my heart and hope to die

It's tearing me apart (it's tearing me apart)

She's slipping away (i'm slipping away)

Am I just hanging on to all the words she used to say?

The pictures on her phone

She's not coming home (I'm not coming home)

Oh, na, na, na, yeah

I know what you did last summer (ah-ah)

Just lied to me, "there's no other" (he-ey)

I know what you did last summer

Tell me where you've been

I know what you did last summer (ah-ah)

Look me in the eyes, my lover (he-ey)

I know what you did last summer

Tell me where you've been

I know, I know, I know, I know

I know, I know, I know

I know, I know, I know, I know

I know, I know, I know (no, no, no)

Can't seem to let you go, can't seem to keep you close

(Hold me close)

Can't seem to let you go, can't seem to keep you close

(You know I didn't mean it, though)

Tell me where you've been lately

Tell me where you've been lately

(Just hold me close)

Tell me where you've been lately

Tell me where you've been lately

(Don't, don't, don't, don't let me go)

Can't seem to keep you close, can't seem to let you go

(I didn't mean it, though)

I know you didn't mean it, though

I know you didn't mean it, though

(I don't wanna let you go)

Tell me you didn't mean it, though

Tell me you didn't mean it, though (no, no, no)

(Can't seem to let you go, seem to let you go)

I know you didn't mean it, though. I wanna know you mean it though

(Hold me close)

I know you didn't mean it though

I know you didn't mean it though

I can't seem to let you go, can't seem to hold you close

I know what you did last summer (ah-ah)

Just lied to me, "there's no other" (he-ey)

I know what you did last summer

Tell me where you've been

I know what you did last summer (ah-ah)

Look me in the eyes, my lover (he-ey)

I know what you did last summer

Tell me where you've been

I know, I know, I know, I know

I know, I know, I know (ah-ah)

(He-ey)

I know, I know, I know, I know

I know, I know, I know (ah-ah, ah-ah)

I know, I know, I know, I know

I know, I know, I know (ah-ah)

(He-ey)

I know, I know, I know, I know

I know, I know, I know (ah-ah, ah-ah)

I know

"I think that with the right notes in the background, we're looking at another hit!" Thalia says, grabbing our hands and hopping up and down.

"OMG! They expect to go platinum with that FILTH?" Drew screeches.

"I'd like to see you do better, Shrew!" Callie says, being restrained by Leo and Percy.

"Are we really doing another sing off? you lost the last one!" Piper says, rolling her eyes.

"Winner gets bragging rights, and just to up the ante, let's make it a dance off too!" Rachel sneers.

"Fine. no original songs, and one lead singer. three dancers" Thalia says.

"Fine. Prepare to lose Annabitch." Rachel snarls, stepping forward.

"Whoa whoa whoa. 20 minute prep time. Ready? Break!" Hazel says.

"Okay. you guys still know our tour choreography for the opener right? I know a song that works with it. Follow my lead." I whisper.

"Let's crush this ladies." Piper says.

"Now for the unnecessary hype ritual. Thals?"Hazel says.

"Pipes! Are you ready to ROCK?" Thalia shouts.

"You know it." Piper says, tying her hair back and striking a confident pose.

"'Zel! You ready to CRUSH IT?" she shouts.

"Let's do this thing!" Hazel says, rolling up her oversized sleeves.

"Beth! Are you ready to HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE?" she shouts, raising her arms above her head .

"We're gonna be awesome!" I say, grabbing a mic from Percy.

"Thals! Are you ready to GO?" I shout, pinning my hair back.

"Duh!" she says, securing her earrings.

"Meet back here in 5 minutes. Break!" Piper says, running over to Jason. Thalia and Nico walk over to the stage; Hazel walks over to join Frank, Leo, and Callie by the light booth.

"Well, that got rid of them." Percy says, chuckling.

"Hey Babe. How's it going?" I ask.

"Good. you know everyone's staring at us, right? And I'm pretty sure that they're whispering about us being friends with benefits." he says, leaning in to whisper in my ear.

"Well done Seaweed Brain. You're not as oblivious as I thought." I say, looking over to the stage. Thalia and Piper stand up there, waiting.

"Looks like you've gotta go. Break a leg." he says, kissing my forehead.

"Bye. see you in 20 minutes." I say, turning and walking away.

"Alright. So Drew and her friends challenged our resident music geeks to a sing off. You guys decide the winners based off your applause? First off, Annabeth Chase, representing the Sirens!" Leo says into a mic on the podium.

"I'll be performing _NO_ by Meghan Trainor." I say, nodding to the girls.

 _I think it's so cute and I think it's so sweet  
How you let your friends encourage you to try and talk to me  
But let me stop you there, oh, before you speak_

 _Nah to the ah to the no, no, no  
My name is no  
My sign is no  
My number is no  
You need to let it go  
You need to let it go  
Need to let it go  
Nah to the ah to the no, no, no  
My name is no  
My sign is no  
My number is no  
You need to let it go  
You need to let it go  
Need to let it go  
Nah to the ah to the no, no, no_

First you gonna say you ain't runnin' game, thinkin' I'm believing every word  
Call me beautiful, so original, telling me I'm not like other girls  
I was in my zone before you came along, now I'm thinking maybe you should go  
Blah, blah, blah, I be like nah to the ah to the no, no, no

All my ladies, listen up  
If that boy ain't giving up  
Lick your lips and swing your hips  
Girl all you gotta say is

My name is no  
My sign is no  
My number is no  
You need to let it go  
You need to let it go  
Need to let it go  
Nah to the ah to the no, no, no  
My name is no  
My sign is no  
My number is no  
You need to let it go  
You need to let it go  
Need to let it go  
Nah to the ah to the no, no, no

Thank you in advance, I don't wanna dance (nope)  
I don't need your hands all over me  
If I want a man, then I'mma get a man  
But it's never my priority  
I was in my zone, before you came along, don't want you to take this personal  
Blah, blah, blah, I be like nah to the ah to the no, no, no

All my ladies, listen up  
If that boy ain't giving up  
Lick your lips and swing your hips  
Girl all you gotta say is

My name is no  
My sign is no  
My number is no  
You need to let it go  
You need to let it go  
Need to let it go  
Nah to the ah to the no, no, no  
My name is no  
My sign is no  
My number is no  
You need to let it go  
You need to let it go  
Need to let it go  
Nah to the ah to the no, no, no

I'm feeling  
Untouchable, untouchable  
I'm feeling  
Untouchable, untouchable  
I'm feeling  
Untouchable, untouchable  
I'm feeling  
(nah to the ah to the, no, no, no)  
I'm feeling  
Untouchable, untouchable  
I'm feeling  
Untouchable, untouchable  
I'm feeling  
Untouchable, untouchable  
I'm feeling  
(nah to the ah to the, no, no, no)

All my ladies, listen up  
If that boy ain't giving up  
Lick your lips and swing your hips  
Girl all you gotta say is

My name is no  
My sign is no  
My number is no  
You need to let it go  
You need to let it go  
Need to let it go  
Nah to the ah to the no, no, no  
My name is no  
My sign is no  
My number is no  
You need to let it go  
You need to let it go  
Need to let it go  
Nah to the ah to the no, no, no

I'm feeling  
Untouchable, untouchable  
I'm feeling  
Untouchable, untouchable  
I'm feeling  
Untouchable, untouchable  
I'm feeling  
Nah to the ah to the, no, no, no

"Nice Job Annie! Our choreography worked pretty well with that song. Good thinking!" Hazel says as we step behind the curtains.

"And here's Rachel Dare representing the challengers!" Leo says.

"I'll be performing _Jar of Hearts_ by Christina Perri." she says, clutching the mic like it's about to disappear.

 _I know I can't take one more step towards you  
'Cause all that's waiting is regret  
Don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore  
You lost the love I loved the most_

I learned to live half alive  
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are?  
Runnin' 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
And tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
So don't come back for me  
Who do you think you are?

I hear you're asking all around  
If I am anywhere to be found  
But I have grown too strong  
To ever fall back in your arms

And I've learned to live half alive  
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are?  
Runnin' 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
And tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
So don't come back for me  
Who do you think you are?

And it took so long just to feel alright  
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes  
I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed  
'Cause you broke all your promises  
And now you're back  
You don't get to get me back

And who do you think you are?  
Runnin' 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
And tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
So don't come back for me  
Don't come back at all

And who do you think you are?  
Runnin' 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
Tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
Don't come back for me  
Don't come back at all

Who do you think you are?

Who do you think you are?

Who do you think you are?

"So who do you think will-"Leo starts.

"Attention teachers and students. Please exit the building via the front doors and return home. School is closing early. All buses will be here in 15 minutes." Principal Brunner says over the announcement system.

Grabbing our bags, we head over to the front entrance. Just as Katie Gardner pushes the door open, a loud cracking sound from a nearby tree causes her to release the door in shock. With a sickening thud, the tree falls to the ground. Katie tries again. No luck. Now there are 7 students trying to help her push the doors open.

"Guys, I think we're stuck in here," I say, my face deathly pale.


	8. Leading the Charge

_Previously on Secretly Us_

" _Guys,I think we might be stuck here."-Annabeth_

Chapter 8

Hazel's POV

"What?" Thalia screeches.

"We're stuck in the building until somebody gets that tree out of the way." Piper says.

"I'll call for 911, Frank, can you and Hazel look for some supplies? We might be here for a while." Annabeth says.

"On it." Frank says, grabbing my hand and walking down the hall.

"So what should we look for first?" I ask, waving to one of my classmates as she passes by.

"Blankets? It will probably get cold." Frank suggests, leading me up the stairs.

"There are fire blankets in the science classrooms. We can take those. They should be big enough for 2 or 3 people each." I say.

"Good idea." Frank stammers, looking around nervously.

"Are you okay Frank?" I ask, stepping onto the step above him so I'm at his eye level.

"Y-yeah. Yo-you're just really pretty, and I'm intimidated by you and _why can't I stop talking?_ " he says, stepping around me to walk into the science wing. I follow him, jogging to catch up.

"Thanks Frank. Now let's get those blankets." I say, pulling open the door to the first classroom.

(Frank's POV)

Hazel pulls the door open and walks over to to the bright red box with the blankets inside. The sunlight shines through the clouds and filters its way through her hair. I'm struck by how beautiful she looks, but I know she probably doesn't like me like that.

"What are you staring at?" Hazel asks, scooping up the two grey blankets.

"Nothing." I stammer, my face flushing with embarrassment.

"We need to hit 2 more classrooms before we have enough. Let's go." she says, staggering out of the door.

"One of these days, I'm going to get the courage to ask you out. I promise, Hazel." I whisper, sighing as I follow her into the classroom, watching her hair bounce as she walks.

"There were more blankets in this classroom than the other one, so we're good!" Hazel chirps, walking down an abandoned back staircase.

"Percy says that they are all waiting in the music room, so we need to go there." I say, taking a few of the blankets from her arms. We walk into the classroom in silence, with the exception of Hazel humming a few notes.

"You're back! Hazel, the girls are having some sort of top secret meeting in the hallway. I'm assuming you want to go with them." Percy says, gesturing to the back entrance.

"Thanks Percy!" Hazel says, bounding out of the room after depositing the blankets on a chair. The door slams shut behind her, and Percy turns to me.

"Alright. Frank, you're into Hazel aren't you?" Percy asks, running his hands through his hair.

"Err- yeah. I do. But how did you know?" I stutter.

"Annabeth pointed out that you seem to stare at Hazel longer than anyone else, and you blush whenever she looks at you or touches you. It's kind of obvious." he says.

"I want to ask her out, but I'm scared that she will reject me. What do I do?" I ask, staring down at my shoes.

"You're kidding right? Go for it!" Leo says, poking me in the chest.

"I'd do it when you two are alone. Annabeth and I learned that the hard way." Percy says darkly.

"I'll try and keep Thals and Leo from filming it." Jason says.

"If you hurt my little sister, we're all coming after you." Nico says. The door slowly opens, and the girls walk in.

"What are we going to do while we wait?" Piper asks.

"No clue, but the school cuts off the heat after 3 o'clock, and it's about 2:45. We'd better settle in." Annabeth says.

"What about sleeping arrangements? If we're stuck here at night, we might want to sleep." Calypso says.

"Hmm. Annabeth wiggles in her sleep, and none of us want to deal with that. Percy tends to sleep like the dead, so let's put them together. Unless anyone wants to be cuddled all night, Piper and Jason are together. Sunshine, do you mind sleep talking?" Thalia says.

"Nope, why?" Calypso asks.

"Had to figure out where to put Leo, and you're the only one who can stand his sleep talking. Anyways, that leaves Frank, Hazel, me, and Nico. Any ideas?" Thalia asks.

"Thalia and Nico are both fairly light sleepers, and they should wake up if help comes. I don't think they should have to climb over somebody in order to alert the authorities, so they're stuck together. That leaves Frank and Hazel." Piper suggests.

"That works," Hazel says.

"We should hide these before somebody steals them." Jason says, stuffing the blankets into a cello case.

"Should we go hang out with our classmates? They're trapped here as long as we are." Calypso says, already sliding her brightly colored backpack over her shoulders.

"Race you there Thalia and Nico!" Percy shouts, picking Annabeth up and sprinting out the door.

"Perseus Jackson! If you don't put me down right now-" Annabeth screams as she's carried out the door. I'm sure she screamed more, but I couldn't hear her. With an angry yell, Thalia hops on Nico's back, and he runs out the door.

"On that note, let's go!" Piper chirps, linking arms with Hazel and strolling casually out the door, giggling at something. Calypso grabs Hazel's other arm, and joins in the conversation. Leo grabs Jason's arm and tries to pull him out of the room.

"C'mon guys. I wanna see who won the couples race." I say, turning to face them as I stand in the doorway.

As we step into the auditorium, i can see Thalia and Nico angrily grumbling as Percy stares at them with his signature smirk plastered across his face. Annabeth stands to his right, with a pen tucked behind her ear as she reads over something in her songbook.

"I take it Percy and Annabeth won," Leo smirks.

"If you can call being attacked by your furious girlfriend _winning_." Percy says, rubbing his arm.

"You picked me up and ran off. I think I have the right to be pissed." Annabeth says, bending down to pick up her large book and putting her songbook in her backpack.

"What's that book Owl Head?" Thalia asks, prodding at it's brown cover.

"Les Miserables. It's really good." she says, hissing as she slices her finger open on a page. Without missing a beat, Hazel pulls a small bandaid and some neosporin out of her pocket and cleans Annabeth's paper cut.

"Thanks Haze," Annabeth says.

"So what's the book about?" Piper asks.

"19th century France." Annabeth replies, glancing down at the worn cover.

"Gods Beth, you're such a dork!" Percy says, ruffling her hair.

"And you're such a Seaweed Brain." she says, looking up at him.

"Oh yeah? We'll you're such a smartass!" Percy shouts. Rachel looks over, and I see hope in her eyes. _Maybe she thinks that the two of them are going to break up_ , I think.

"Kelp Head!" Annabeth screams.

"Owl Head!"

"Fish Face!"

"Nerd!"

"Dork! Wait, why are we arguing?" Annabeth says.

"No idea." Percy shrugs.

"Dammit! You two were supposed to break up!" Rachel screams.

"Dare, Percy and I are known for randomly arguing, so if you wouldn't mind leaving us alone and returning to your life," Annabeth starts.

"Ugh! Shut it Chase!" Drew interrupts, grabbing Rachel's arm and stalking out of the doors.

"That got rid of her." Hazel says, bouncing on the balls of her feet as we head up towards the stage.

"Attention! The heating is scheduled to turn off in 5 minutes. For your safety, everyone please bundle up tightly. There are fire blankets in all of the science classrooms if you don't have warm layers. The firemen be here within ten minutes, and we don't know how long they'll take to cut the tree into small enough pieces so we can get out. We'll be backstage or in the hallway if you guys need anything." Thalia shouts as Jason sneaks out the door to grab our blankets. Annabeth hums thoughtfully as she heads backstage.

"Guys, I got the blankets." Jason whispers, draping one over Piper's shoulders before plopping down next to her.

"Now this reminds me of all of our sleepovers back in elementary school." Percy says, wrapping his arm around Annabeth .

"Only this time, you're hogging all of the blanket, and you're a good 3 or 4 inches taller than me." Annabeth grumbles, fiddling with the grey fabric.I feel Hazel snuggle in closer to me.

"Excuse me, but what are we doing for food?" A girl asks, rubbing her gloved hands on her jeans nervously. Hazel bends down and pulls a granola bar out of her backpack.

"Hmm. we'll start cooking at 4:30. Unfortunately, it's going to have to be cafeteria food, but it's the best we've got." Hazel says, giving her the granola bar.

"Thanks!" the girl chirps, running off towards her friends.

'Nico! What time is it?" Piper asks, curling up in a small ball as she leans against Jason.

"3:03. We've got plenty of time." Nico replies, shivering as he pulls the blanket tighter around him and Thalia.

"So what are we going to do for another hour and a half?" Thalia asks.

"No idea Thals. I just know that I'm not getting up. Pipes is warm, and sitting back down requires too much coordination."Jason says. Piper snorts and begins to add tiny braids into his hair.

"I have an idea! We used to play this all the time back on the island!" Calypso chirps.

"Hold up. Island? Where are you from Sunshine?" Leo asks.

"Nantucket. I honestly thought I told you! Anyways, for the game, we need a bottle, paper. A writing utensil, and a bowl of some sort." she says, already rummaging around her backpack for a bottle. Annabeth grabs some paper out of her bag and swipes Percy's snapback from where the brim pokes out of his backpack.

"Here. What do we have to do?" Annabeth asks.

"So what you do is you write random prompts down on scraps of paper, which you put in the hat. A person spins the bottle, and whoever it lands on has to pick a prompt from the hat and do it. If you don't, you have to share some embarrassing story about yourself. I'll spin first," Calypso explains, flicking her wrist to spin the bottle. It spins once, twice, then stops on Nico. Groaning, he grabs a slip of paper and unfolds it.

"Lick the ear of the person to your right. Sorry Hazel." he says, leaning in.

"Gross!" she shrieks, furiously wiping at her ear.

"Nico, since it landed on you, you get to spin next." Calypso explains, curling her legs so that they fit under the blanket. Nico grabs the bottle and spins it, staring at it as it stops on Annabeth.

"Make the person on your right blush. Oh, this should be easy." She says, turning towards Percy.

"Wanna bet?" Percy says, smirking as he faces away from her.

" _Waterland."_ Annabeth says in his ear, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear it.

"You promised never to speak of that." Percy whispers, his face contorting in horror.

" _Guinea Pig_ " she says, giggling as his face reddens.

"Oh! He's red! What did you do to him?" Thalia screams.

"Reminded him of our most embarrassing moments. I forget sometimes that you weren't there!" Annabeth says, twisting the bottle.

"I thought you guys did everything together! Why weren't you all there?" Calypso asks as the bottle slows to a stop pointing at Jason.

"Thals and Jay went backpacking that summer, Frank spends two weeks with his grandmother every year, Nico and Hazel went to Italy that week, Mr. McLean dragged Pipes out to LA for some bonding time, and Leo was visiting his aunt. We were the only ones around that week." Percy says. Jason unfolds the paper.

"Propose to the person on your left. Fine," Jason says, getting down on one knee and rolling his eyes. "Percy, will you marry me?"

"Oh my gods I've been waiting so long for this moment! Of course I'll abandon my girlfriend and marry you!" Percy exclaims, wiping fake tears away. Jason quickly scoops him up and runs towards the door, carrying Percy bridal style.

"Wait what the hell? Put me down bro!" Percy exclaims as Jason exits the room.

"Pipes? Annabeth? Can you go stop your boyfriends before they kill each other?" Thalia asks, smirking.

"Jason isn't my boyfriend though!" Piper exclaims as Annabeth drags her away.

(Back to Annabeth's POV)

"What do we do? Percy looks horrified, and Jay's about to humiliate both of them." Piper asks.

"Oh no! They're in view! Run!" I scream, chasing after them as Piper stumbles behind me.

"Put me down!" Percy screams, kicking and flailing.

"Supes! Put my boyfriend down or I'll flip you! " I shout, stalking over to them.

"NO! HE'S MINE NOW!" Jason hisses, pulling Percy closer to his chest.

"Does nobody care what I have to say in this situation?" Percy huffs, swinging his legs idly. Piper begins to slink closer to Jason, almost crushing Percy between them.

"Jason," she whispers, standing on her tiptoes to reach him. Without warning, she closes the distance between their lips, squishing Percy in the middle of it. When Jason moves his arms to wrap them around Piper's waist, Percy takes the opportunity to crawl towards me. Once Piper feels Percy disappear, she pulls back.

"Nicely done Beauty Queen!" Percy says, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"You tricked me!" Jason cries, slapping his hand over his mouth.

"Get it Pipes!" Thalia, Calypso, and Hazel say, bounding onstage, with the boys following behind.

"I got crushed in a kiss that I wasn't even a part of! Is nobody going to mention that?" Percy shouts. I laugh and shove his shoulder.

"You dork.c'mon. We have to start on dinne- AHHH!" I say, screeching as I see a spider. Without hesitation, I scramble onto Percy's back, all the while screaming my head off and pointing at the creature.

"Kill it! Kill it!" I scream as Percy finally sees the spider and crushes it.

"Hey, it's nearly 4:30. Let's get started on dinner." Percy says, already walking down the stairs as I hop off his back.

We walk in silence down to the cafeteria, and to our luck, the kitchen doors are locked.

"Now what?" Percy asks.

"You still know how to pick locks?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as I pluck a bobby pin out of my hair. Percy takes it, and the room is silent except for the sounds of the pin jiggling in the keyhole.

"We're in!" Percy says, opening the door.

"Guess we're getting chicken nuggets and salads for dinner." I sigh, turning on the oven as our friends stream in.

"Pipesqueak, Blond Superman, how about you guys go out in the hall and talk over what happened onstage?" Percy says, bumping me with his arm as he reaches for the lettuce.

"Okay. C'mon Beauty Queen." Jason says, walking out with Piper trailing close behind. Ten minutes later, while the nuggets are in the oven, I glance out the glass insert in the door to see Jason on the ground, making out with Piper. It seems to be getting pretty heated, and they are about 10 minutes from stripping.

"Oh my gods! What the hell? Are they having _sex_ on the floor right now? Oh my gods, her hands are going under his shirt!" I scream. Everyone turns towards the window, and they start laughing.

"Oh my Gods! Get it Jay!" Percy cries, clutching his stomach and laughing.

"There are security cameras out there! As long as the power's on, so are the cameras! Should we stop them?" Callie says, pointing at the cameras facing them.

"Let it happen. Okay, I do not need to see my brother getting it on with one of my best friends." Thalia says, covering her eyes.

"The shirt is off! I repeat, 'The shirt is off!'" Hazel cries, fanning her face.

"What?" Leo shouts, pressing his face against the glass before sinking down to the ground, tears streaming down his face as he cackles.

"Jason's _ripped_." Nico says in awe as I pull the nuggets out of the oven.

"Nobody mention it when they come in, please." Frank begs, looking away.

"He's fumbling with her zipper! We're putting a stop to this." Thalia says, pushing open the door and propping it open with one of the pots. We silently sneak over to them, and it's worse than I thought. Jason's shirt is carelessly flung 10 feet down the hallway, and Piper's sweater is halfway off.

"Jason, Piper! This is no time for hook ups! There are cameras filming this! C'mon Jay. put on your shirt and get back to work." Percy cries, waving the shirt like a flag.

"How much did you see?" Jason asks, yanking his shirt back over his head.

"Enough." Callie says.

"Too much." Leo says.

"I've been scarred." Frank deadpans.

"How are you so ripped?" Nico says, eyes wide and unblinking.

"Those moans will haunt me for all eternity." Thalia says.

"I will never be able to look at tile the same way." I say, shuddering

"You're worse than Percy and Annabeth." Hazel says.

"Hey!" Percy shouts.

"Two words: _Janitor's Closet_." Leo whispers.

"You got us there." Percy deadpans, halfheartedly pointing at Leo.

"Anyways, food's done. I'll go invite everyone in. You two, get cleaned up. I have foundation in your shades to cover up those hickeys, but you can't look like that in public." I say, grabbing Percy's hand and walking down the hallway.

"So how's swim going?" I ask, shoving my hands inside my sleeves.

"Oh you know, good. We aren't officially starting the season until after break, but since I'm captain, I have to run tryouts on Friday after school. You're welcome to come if you want. It should only take 20 minutes, so we can go do whatever after I'm done." Percy suggests, pulling open the door.

"Sounds fun. I'll bring pizza, and we can go to that skatepark you like afterwards. How many people are signed up to try out?" I ask, trying to figure out how much food to buy, since I'm assuming everyone is going to want food after tryouts.

"14 people. Please only buy enough for two slices per person, I don't want you to have to spend too much money on this." he pleads.

"Alright. So, 5 pizzas on Friday, and bring your skateboard," I say, bounding up the steps and snatching a microphone. "Food's in the Cafeteria. There's chicken nuggets, salad, and drinks. Help yourself!" I shout, as everyone begins to walk towards the doors.

"I snagged some food before we left, so here." Percy says,handing me a small container of food.

"Thanks! Wanna go see how the firemen are doing with that tree?" I suggest, already putting a chicken nugget in my mouth and walking towards the front door. I hear the squeak of shoes on tile behind me, and Percy appears in the corner of my eye. With a bit of effort, we're able to push the door open enough to fit our faces through. The firemen stop their work, and look up at us.

"Sorry to be a bother, but we were wondering how much longer it will be before we can get out of this school." Percy asks, plastering his puppy dog face on.

"About six and a half hours." a man grunts, hacking away at a part of the log.

"Thank you sir! We'll inform the rest of the students. Have a nice day!" I chirp, grabbing Percy's arm and walking back to the cafeteria.

"Finally! Where were you two?" Callie asks as we walk over to the table.

"Asking rescue crews how much longer it will take before we can get out." I say, dumping our blankets on the table as I sit down.

"How long is it?" Leo asks, wolfing down his food.

"If all goes according to plan, we should be out of here by one AM." Percy replies.

"We can stay up that long, right?" Piper asks as Percy's phone goes off.

"Yeah. And apparently, Paul is having the teacher's holiday party at our house." Percy groans.

"That sucks, bro." Jason says, wiping his glasses with his sleeve.

"Ooh, and she wants Annabeth to come over on Saturday." Thalia says, reading over Percy's shoulder.

"Alright, I can do that." I shrug.

"What about the twins?" Nico asks.

"I'll watch them. I had to babysit all my neighbor's kids back in Nantucket." Callie says.

"Now that that's settled, Thalia, can you go let everyone know how much time is left?" Percy asks. Thalia nods, and stands on top of her chair.

"Hey! Crews are working to get us out, so we should be free by 1 o'clock! If you decide to sleep, do it in plain sight so that we can find you when we can leave!" Thalia shouts.

"Apparently, Paul and the other teachers somehow managed to get out before we did, so they're

trying to find other exits." Percy says, standing up and walking over to the door. We follow, sneaking up to the top floor to watch as the sun finally disappears completely.

"Guys, I have an idea." Nico whispers, gesturing to Mrs. Dodds' room.

"The window! How could we forget! Maybe the firemen can get a ladder over there!" Leo cries, sprinting out of the room and over to the window.

"It's stuck!" Calypso says, furiously tugging at the crank to open it.

"Maybe if we widen the hole, we can call for help and get crews in here to rescue us!" Piper says, already beating at the window with a nearby chair.

Out of the way!" Frank cries, throwing a chair through the window as we move aside.

"What the hell? There are kids up there! Get the ladder!" one man shouts.

"The rest of the school is in the cafeteria and auditorium!" Hazel shouts, waving her arms. A man appears in the window and clambers in. a woman follows, and we direct them to our classmates.

"Finally, we can get out of here!" Khione squawks.

"You have to climb out the window, but yeah, we can get out of here." Thalia says.

"What? You expect me to climb down a ladder in these heels? They're designer!" Rachel shouts once we all return to Mrs. Dodds' room.

"This'll be a piece of cake!" Reyna says, already swinging her legs out the window. She hisses in pain as her knee catches on a piece of broken glass, but she makes it to the ground safely. We watch as everyone makes it to the ground safely before Piper uses the curtain rod to swing out onto the ladder, scrambling down it like it's the giant tree in Thalia and Jason's backyard. I follow, kicking more glass to the ground as I pull myself through the window. One by one, we all make it down, until Thalia and Nico are the only ones left. Thalia looks down, and I see her gulp, her face looking deathly pale in the flourescent lights. _Oh right, she has a fear of heights,_ I think.

"Guys, I don't know about this." Thalia says.

"I'll hold your hand on the way down. Just trust me Thals." Nico says, grabbing her hand from where he stands on the ladder. It takes a little while, but soon, Thalia and Nico are standing with us, still holding hands as our legal guardians come to get us. I hear loud footfalls, and turn to see Sally, Poseidon, Dad, Susan, Bobby, Matthew, Mr. Grace, Mrs. Grace, Mr. Di Angelo, Mrs. Di Angelo, Paul, Beckendorf, Silena, and a man that I'm assuming is Calypso's dad running towards us.

"Thank god you guys are okay!" Sally cries, throwing her arms around Percy's waist and sobbing into his shirt.

"School's officially canceled for three days. No makeup days. Superintendent's decision." Paul says, his voice wobbling as he ruffles Percy's hair. I turn back to my family, crushing the twins into a hug.

"I'm glad you're safe Annie." Bobby whispers.

"Um, I'd like to apologize for this morning." Matthew says, looking down at his interesting ensemble of Superman pajama pants and boots.

"Apology accepted bud. Now go home and get some sleep little man." I say, ruffling his messy brown hair. They turn and walk away, and Hazel sobs into Frank's chest as her father and stepmother take Nico back to their house. Percy grabs my hand and waves goodbye to Calypso as she trudges through the snow to her father's car. I hear the crunch of feet in deep snow and Frank trudges past us towards a large shadowy figure that I assume to be his father.

"I'm gonna head home. See you tomorrow." Percy whispers, kissing my forehead before jogging to join Paul and Sally. I turn and trudge towards Silena's old car, sliding into the backseat next to Hazel. Thalia leans on the closed door, tapping a random beat on her thigh as she presses her cheek against the glass. Piper hops into the passenger seat, and we drive in silence, except for Silena's nervous ramblings.

"So Beauty Queen, are you and my brother a thing yet?" Thalia asks,smirking.

"We've agreed to give it a shot." Piper says, a lovestruck grin settling upon her delicate features.

"Finally! Do you know how much pining I've had to deal with?" Thalia screams, walking up the staircase.

"Anyways, goodnight girls." Leo says as he closes his bedroom door.

I walk into my bedroom and stare at my laptop. Logging in, I log into my personal youtube channel and edit a video that's been sitting on my computer for a week. Turning on my camera, I add a small bit to the end of the video promising to do a special video for my 1 million subscriber milestone. We're at 998,453 subscribers, and I try to post weekly updates on my life and the Sirens. My phone goes off, and I realize that news stations are starting to report about our school mishap. Groaning, I turn off my phone and curl up under my covers. My eyes drift shut, and I go to sleep with a smile on my face.

(Percy's POV)

I sit up in bed, smirking as I remember that there's no school. I quickly get dressed and run out the door, skateboard in hand, before I'm temporarily blinded by a bright flash. _Paparazzi._ I curse under my breath and skate over towards a Starbucks.

"Percy!" a voice says behind me. I slam my sneaker into the pavement and stop abruptly. Slowly, Grover Underwood makes his way over to me.

"G-Man! What are you doing here? I thought you and Juniper had work in Wichita!" I exclaim, nearly knocking him over as I hug him.

"We were coming to visit you guys! In fact, Juniper wants me to invite you and Annabeth out for dinner today. Wait, why aren't you in school?" Grover asks, poking at a rock with his crutches.

"Tree fell in front of the door and trapped us inside until Zhang broke a window with a chair. Since we were inside the school until just before 10'o clock, the superintendent is giving us until Friday off. Is lunch an option?" I shrug.

"Yeah, just call Annabeth. We're free all day." Grover replies. I pull out my phone and go to call Annabeth. Grover raises an eyebrow at the fact that Annabeth is saved as _Annabae_ in my contacts, yet he says nothing.

"Hey Babe. you'll never guess who I just ran into near the Starbucks on 34th street!" I say.

"Who?" she wheezes.

"Hold up, why are you out of breath?" I ask, frowning.

"I'm just on my morning run. Now who did you run into?" She says, breathing a little heavy.

"Grover! Apparently, he and Juniper are in town. We're planning to go for lunch. You in?" I say.

"I'm a quarter mile away. I can meet you guys for coffee in 4 minutes." Annabeth huffs.

"See you then." I say, hanging up.

"Is she coming?" Grover asks.

"Yeah. she's on her morning run, and she's grabbing coffee with us in about 4 minutes. Then she probably needs to go home and grab some clean clothes before lunch." I shrug, idly moving my right leg, making my skateboard go forwards and backwards while we wait. Grover and I talk a bit about what's been going on at school since he graduated. Annabeth runs up to us, wheezing, and a bit sweaty.

"Hey. Let's go, I need my coffee!" Annabeth exclaims, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet.

"Glad to see she hasn't changed much." Grover chuckles, propelling himself forward. We follow him, and I'm surprised to see that the store is nearly empty. A bored looking girl stands behind the counter, and smacks her gum loudly.

"Welcome to 'll it be?" she asks, examining her nails.

"Can I have a grande iced caramelized honey latte, a hot chocolate, and a tall sweet tea?" Annabeth asks.

"That will be $19.75. Name?" the girl sighs.

"Annie." Annabeth says, grimacing as the nickname leaves her mouth. The girl takes Annabeth's 20 dollar bill and hands back her change. Annabeth herds us over to a table in the corner, and we sit down.

"Why'd you say Annie? You hate that nickname." I ask, squeezing her hand as I sit next to her.

"It's a thing I picked up in LA. The girls and I picked common names to use anytime we needed to put our names down for something. I mean, how many Annabeths, Thalias, Hazels, and Pipers do you know?" She replies. I nod, as that makes a lot of of sense.

"So what's new in the world of two of my favorite babysitting charges?" Grover asks, leaning over to ruffle our hair. You see, Grover is about 5 years older than us, so our parents would frequently pay him to babysit us. Over the years, we got pretty close.

"Annie?" the cashier deadpans. Annabeth gets up and goes to get our drinks, nearly slipping on my skateboard as she stands. A moment later, she returns with our stuff, and we sit in silence with the exception of sipping through our straws.

"To answer your question, not much. Just trying to work out who has to watch the twins over break. Unfortunately, it's me." Annabeth explains.

"Yep. and because of that, I have to hide all of your possible prank supplies." I groan.

"Oh crap! It's 9:00 already! I have practice in an hour, and it takes half an hour to run back home! Gotta go! Demeter's at noon, right?" Annabeth says, picking up her latte, kissing me on the cheek, and sprinting out the door.

"So what was that?" Grover asks, raising his eyebrow.

"Nothing. Anyways, I've gotta go. See you at noon!" I say, clearing my throat before walking out the door and skating slowly back home, careful not to spill my hot chocolate. On the ground in front of the door sits a note written on an oily piece of paper. I bend down and pick it up, and as I read it, my blood runs cold. _Dear Sally, bet you thought you'd seen the last of me. However, I've escaped jail, and since you've taken my freedom from me, I'm taking away everything you love, starting with your all too precious little boy. Sincerely, Gabe Ugliano._

"Shit! How'd he get out of prison?" I mutter, forcing open the door.

"Percy? Where were you?" I hear mom say from inside the kitchen.

"Hey mom. I went skating, and ran into Grover and Annabeth and got Starbucks. I'm meeting Juniper, Grover, and Annabeth for lunch. I say, my voice wobbling slightly as the paper crinkles in my fist.

"What's that you're holding?" Mom asks. Wordlessly, I give her the letter. As she reads it, her eyes widen and her mouth droops open in horror.

"So, Smelly Gabe might be after me. I'll just be more careful. If he tries to get me, I can at least try to fight back. It'll be okay Mom, I promise."

"No Percy, this isn't okay! My abusive ass of an ex boyfriend is coming after us because we got him sent to jail!" Mom shouts, sobbing hysterically.

"What?" Paul shouts from the other room. He sprints in. "How could I have missed this?" he shouts, waving his arms.

"Have you ever wondered why Percy's back, arms , and legs have a bunch of small scars on them?" Mom whispers, gesturing to what look like chicken pox scars on my arms.

"I always thought that they were from skateboarding or chicken pox," he whispers." Di-did he hit you two?"

"Yeah. those round scars on my arms? He'd frequently burn me with cigars. The tiny slashes on my back and legs? Broken glass from thrown beer bottles. He'd convinced me that he was only beating me, and not Mom. He told her that she was the only one being beaten. That's why I still flinch a bit anytime somebody tries to high five me." I say, looking down at my worn sneakers.

"That bastard! And he's looking for you? That's it, I'm calling in Poseidon." Paul says, grabbing a phone and storming out of the kitchen. Groaning, I walk over to my room and flop onto my bed, mindlessly playing Crossy Road. _I wonder how the girls are doing,_ I think.

(Annabeth's POV)

"Alright girls! One last time before you can leave! Thalia, try to play at a slightly slower tempo. Piper, the strumming pattern you picked goes down, down, up, down, up. Please try to stick to it. Hazel,great energy, although you accidently pressed the G key before the first chorus, when it's supposed to be an E. Annabeth, you were a little pitchy. I know you want to go home, but we have to get this right. Once more from the top!" our music producer says, lounging on the couch inside the Olympus Enterprises New York studio, where he's been sitting for an hour and a half.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , Hazel, **Thalia** )

 **Stop me on the corner**  
I swear you hit me like a vision  
I, I, I wasn't expecting  
 _But who am I to tell fate where it's supposed to go with it?  
_ Don't you blink you might miss it  
 _See we got a right to just love it or leave it_  
You find it and keep it  
 **'Cause it ain't every day you get the chance to say**

 _ **Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart  
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun  
Oh, we could be the stars, falling from the sky  
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun  
**_  
 _I never seen it, but I found this love I'm undefeated  
_ You better believe, I'm gonna treat? better than anything I've ever had  
 **'Cause you're so damn beautiful read it  
** It's time and deliver it let's seal it  
Boy we go together like peanuts and paydays and Marley and reggae  
And it ain't every day you get the chance to say  
 _ **  
Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart  
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun  
Oh, we could be the stars, falling from the sky  
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun**_

 **Everything is like a white out, 'cause we shk shk shine down**  
 _Even when when the light's out but I can see you glow_  
Got my head up in the rafters, got me happy ever after  
Never felt this way before, ain't felt this way before

 _I swear you hit me like a vision  
_ **I, I, I wasn't expecting**  
But who am I to tell fate where it's supposed to go?

 _ **Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart  
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun  
Oh, we could be the stars, falling from the sky  
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun, yeah**_

Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart  
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun  
Oh, we could be the stars, falling from the sky  
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun, yeah  
Brighter than the sun  
 **Brighter than the sun**  
 _Brighter than the sun_

 **Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart  
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun  
** _Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart  
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun  
_Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart  
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun  
Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart  
It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun

"Great job girls! That's all for today!" he says as we walk towards the door.

"So what's everyone doing now? Hazel asks as we get inside.

"Jason and I are going out to see a movie at 3." Piper says.

"Nico and I are going to check out that new music store on 17th street." Thalia says, wiping snow off of her black boots.

"Grover and Juniper are in town for the holidays, so Percy and I are meeting up with them for lunch." I reply, running up the stairs to the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed. As I stand under the water, I can hear Leo and Piper shouting as they play video games. I quickly yank on a teal sweater, jeans, and matching converse. I shout a goodbye to the girls and begin the 10 minute walk to Demeter's restaurant in silence, getting swallowed up in the busy sidewalks. Percy waits outside for me.

"Hey! Are Grover and Juniper here yet?" I ask, swiping his beanie off of his head.

"Not yet. Oh, there they are!" he says, pointing as Grover and Juniper walk up to us. A waitress directs us to a table. Percy and I kill time by catching Juniper up on what she's missed.

"So, why'd you want to meet us for lunch?" Percy asks, tapping his foot on the ground.

"Well. we're getting married." Grover stammers as Juniper lifts her left hand, her ring sparkling under the lights.

"Oh my god! That's so cute! When's the wedding?" I squeal, grabbing Juniper's hand and admiring the ring.

"Congrats, man." Percy says, fistbumping Grover from across the table.

"So, the wedding's on August 25th, and we were wondering if you two would like to be part of it." Juniper asks, grinning.

"You mean, like bridesmaids? I'd love to!" I chirp.

"I'm in. It's not everyday that I get to see my former babysitter marry his high school sweetheart,right?" Percy says, casually wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"So… you two have anything to tell us?" Juniper asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Good going, you dork!" I groan, elbowing him in the ribs.

"You two are totally dating, aren't you?" Juniper exclaims.

"Yeah. he finally manned up and asked me out." I smirk, swiping a handful of Percy's fries.

"I called it! Pay up babe!" Juniper squeals, grinning as Grover shoves twenty dollars into her outstretched hand.

"You two were betting on us?" Percy asks,the back of his neck reddening.

"Yeah. I thought that you two weren't going to get together, because Annabeth would have murdered you by now." Grover groans, picking at his salad.

"If I'm going to die early, we all know that it'll be at Annabeth's hands." Percy deadpans as the waitress returns with Grover's credit card.

"Thank you for dining at Demeter's. Have a nice day!" she says. We head outside, and I start to walk towards my house. Percy grabs my hand, and starts walking with me.

"Apparently, My dad's flying Amphitrite and Triton in for the holidays." Percy says, scowling.

"I don't think it will be that bad, Seaweed Brain." I sigh, looking behind me to check for paparazzi.

"Last Christmas, all Triton would talk about is how pretty you looked. He would ask me if I'd be okay with him dating you, and he's probably going to do it again! He probably knows that we're dating, so who knows what he'll do! I can deal with the guys at school flirting with you, but not my own step brother!" he says, scowl deepening as he shoves his free hand into his pocket.

"C'mon Perce! At least you'll get to see Tyson!" I say, waving to a girl that's in my Physics class as she passes by with a tall boy that looks about two years older than her. I think that she moved here from England a few years ago, but I'm not 100% sure.

"Did you see that, Carter? Annabeth bloody Chase waved at me!" she exclaims, bouncing up and down on her toes.

"That's very nice Sadie. Now let's get home before Dad kills us." the boy I've come to know as Carter sighs, grabbing Sadie's arm and pulling her along.

"Hey, this is your street. Bye Percy." I say, as he lets go of my hand and turns down the quiet street. I continue walking for a little while, and a car covered in our rival school's mascot and colors drives by. A window rolls down, and I can hear several loud whistles from inside the car, and it slows to a stop as it reaches a stop light.

"I'd tap that!" One guy shouts, sticking his head out the window. Several people turn my way, and I see a large group of girls ahead of me look towards the car in disgust, and they start running over. I whirl to face the car, and am greeted with three grinning faces. Of course it's three burly guys, and they stare at me as if I'm a piece of meat.

"Can you leave me alone?" I plead, glaring at the car.

"Not until you agree to go out with one of us, blondie." the driver shouts.

"I have a boyfriend!" I say, glancing up as the girls step behind me.

"He doesn't have to know." the guy sitting in the backseat says.

"Screw off assholes! She said no!" a woman says, stepping out of the huddle of girls. She looks to be in her mid twenties, with long dark hair tied up into a ponytail and a menacing glare. The light finally turns to green, and the boys speed away.

"Are you okay?" a girl who looks kind of how Nico's sister would look if she lived asks, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Who are you people?" I ask, thanking them.

"I'm Artemis, and these girls are my students." the woman says.

"Are you by any chance related to Apollo, the music producer? And what do you mean 'teacher'? These girls would have been in school!" I ask.

"Unfortunately, Apollo is my twin brother. And as for your other question, I homeschool each and every one of these girls while we travel the country." Artemis says. My phone starts to ring.

"What's up Apollo?" I ask, holding my phone up to my ear.

"The label wants you guys to get back to work on your music." he says, sighing. I can already imagine him draped across a couch in LA.

"We have some songs prepared, but we're finishing high school before we go back to LA. we just want to be normal for now. Also, I met your sister today. Why didn't you tell us how sweet she is!" I reply, watching Artemis lead her students away.

"There's a recording studio that we own about 17 blocks away from your school, so you can record there. And you met Arty? When?" he asks.

"I bumped into her on the street. She says hi, by the way. Now, is that all you wanted? I've got to get home before the girls start to worry." I say, turning onto my street.

"Yeah. bye Annabeth. See you in two months, at the Teen Choice Awards." he says, finally hanging up. I kick a pebble up the sidewalk and finally can see my house looming in the distance. I slowly pull open the door and hear frustrated shouts coming from Piper's room. She kneels in the middle of a large pile of clothing, and begins digging through the clothing.

"Need some help?" I say, already kneeling next to her.

"Oh thank god! Annabeth I'm freaking out! I have no clue what to wear!" Piper exclaims, tossing a pair of shorts behind her.

"Just be yourself Pipes! That's what Jason likes about you!" I suggest, holding up a red shirt and a pair of striped leggings. She grabs a pair of shorts and a flannel shirt and runs into the bathroom. I walk out of the room and sit at my desk, turning on my camera.

"Hey guys! Annabeth here, back again with another vlog! Now, I don't remember if I told you, but my older brother, Malcom, is here too. Ready to get another sneak peek into the normal lives of the Sirens?" I say, grabbing the camera and walking out of my bedroom. As I walk by Thalia's room, I poke my head in and see her talking on the phone.

"Jay, can you stop freaking out? You have two hours to get ready. Get your ass up! If you're late, we're going to kill you!" she says, flopping onto her electric blue bedspread.

"He's freaking out about the movie with Piper?" I ask, moving my arm so that I'm in the shot too.

"Yep. he's been sitting in a tree, biting his nails for the past hour. He thinks that Pipes is going to hate him after today." Thalia deadpans, rolling her eyes.

"Well, best of luck dealing with Jason! If Piper comes in here asking about her clothing, just say she looks good. Bye," I say, slipping out of her dark room and back into the hallway. Leo walks by, muttering and playing with some metal scraps. I can hear Beckendorf and Silena chatting about something important, so i leave them alone. Soft piano sounds come from Hazel's room, along with a small scratching noise. Pushing open the door, I peek inside. Hazel sits at her keyboard, scratching down a few notes on paper. She looks up, and I can see tears in her eyes, making them sparkle and catch the light more than they already do.

"Haze, are you okay?" I ask,walking into the room and pressing pause on the camera.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Apollo called in about our next album. The label wants each of us to write a song about our lives and one song all together for our next EP. Writing it reminds me of my mother." Hazel sniffles, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve as I place the camera on her nightstand.

"Oh, Hazel," I whisper, sitting down next to her and pulling her towards me. Hazel's mom, Marie, ran a successful fortune telling business in New Orleans, until a hurricane blew through and swept away her business. She tried to use the money Hazel's father gave them for child support to keep living her lavish lifestyle, while she hid Hazel away in the basement when people visited, trying to keep people from noticing her alarmingly thin figure. One day, Marie left the basement door unlocked while a client was over, and Hazel snuck outside. Somehow, the roof caved in, so Hazel was sent to live with her father. About a year or two later, Nico came to live with them, and Hazel still misses her mother dearly.

"I know that she cared more about wealth and her personal image than about me, but it still hurts. Why did she change so much after the flood?" Hazel sobs, tears landing on the keys with a soft _plip_.

"Hazel, the only one who knows that is her. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, any of us would be glad to do it for you. We're a family, Haze. it's what we do." I say, squeezing her shoulder. "Thanks Annabeth. You'd better start working on your song. I'll be fine!" she replies, sniffling as she goes back to pressing softly on the keys of the piano. I turn, grab my camera, delete the footage that I have, and go back to my room. I pull out my songbook, and start humming a few notes, writing them out in my book. When Malcolm pokes his head in about two hours later, I'm sitting on my bed, flipping through an old photo album.

Hey Annie. What's up?" He says, plopping down next to me.

"Nothing. Just found some old photo albums. You must have been around 14 then!" I say, gesturing to a picture of him and I holding two babies, each with a shock of brown hair.

"Is that Percy?" he says as i flip to the next page, pointing to a short boy with black hair sitting next to me in an old tree house. He's looking over at me, instead of the camera. His bangs cover most of his eyes, but I can see small bits of green peeking through, and a sliver of green at the bottom of his eye.

"Yeah, I think it is. He was so tiny!" I say, looking over at the next picture, where the 9 of us are burying a sleeping Malcolm in the sand at the beach.

"I had sand in my suit for _weeks_." Malcolm grumbles. My phone goes off, and I realize that I need to get back to work. I shoo Malcolm out of my room, and start writing out lyrics.

(Piper's POV)

I sit out on the back porch with an old acoustic guitar, humming softly as I watch the snow glitter in the sunlight. I hear the crunch of shoes in snow, and a shadow looms over me. I glance up, and see Jason, with his hands shoved into the pockets of his grey hoodie.

"Ready to go Piper?" Jason asks, wiping his glasses with his sleeve.

"Yeah, just let me put down my guitar, and then we can go," I say, climbing to my feet and placing the guitar inside the house.

"I figured you didn't want to walk, so I brought my car." he says, as we walk over to the driveway. I open the passenger side door, and pull myself into his red truck.

"So what are we going to do?" I ask, tugging on a small feather that's been braided into my hair.

"Tristan McLean's new movie is out, so there are posters all over the theater promoting it. I don't think you want to see girls fawning over shirtless pictures of your dad, so the movies is out. How do you feel about just driving around and seeing what's open?" He says, pulling out of the driveway and continuing down the street.

"Sounds good," I reply, turning up the volume on the radio.

"So, what's touring like?" he asks, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

"It's like those long road trips your dad used to take us on . We didn't spend all of our time in the van; whenever we stopped, we walked around the towns and took pictures. It was kinda cool, and at one point, we drove through here." I explain.

"What? You came to town while on tour and didn't visit us!" He yelps, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

"You forget, we weren't on speaking terms, although we did see you guys walking down the street by the orphanage. We just drove through Mystic, we couldn't exactly stop if we wanted to make it to our show on time!" I exclaim, looking out the window as a small deer darts into the forest.

"Fair point. If you'd stopped here, you might never get out. People would be hounding you," He says.

"How would you feel about going to the mall and seeing what's there?" I ask, tapping my foot to the beat of the song playing on the radio.

"Sounds good!" he says, turning towards the mall. I quickly point out a place to park, and we rush inside to avoid the biting winds.

"There's the food court," I say, pointing straight ahead.

"If something happens and we get separated, let's meet by the hot dog place."Jason says, placing his hand on my shoulder. I start walking forward, and as I turn a corner, I see a head of sleek black hair standing next to a head of fried red hair. Even from this distance, I can tell just how bad the damage is.

"I think that's Drew and Rachel!" I exclaim.

"Of course it is," Jason groans.

"We can deal with them, as long as nobody makes a scene." I say, continuing to walk.

"Fine. what did your bandmates do today?" he asks quietly, as we step into earshot of the two girls.

"Well, Annabeth and Percy's former babysitter came back to town, so they went out to lunch with him and his girlfriend. Did you know that Grover proposed?" I say.

"What? He proposed? When's the wedding?" he interrupts,looking straight ahead to make sure that Rachel and Drew haven't noticed us.

"August 25th. They asked Percy and Annabeth to be part of it. Annabeth promised that she'd send several pictures of Percy in a tux. Anyway, Hazel's been working on something for our next album, and Thalia's been all over the place. Earlier, she and Nico went to check out that new music store, she's been writing songs, she went to go pick up our Christmas tree with Leo, and I think that she's editing videos right now." I say, still watching Drew and Rachel squeal about something.

"You girls need a break!" he exclaims as my phone goes off. Rachel and Drew look our way at the sound.

"Hang on, it's our manager," I say as I accept the call. "What's up Apollo?" I ask, already rolling my eyes.

"Television crews want to film your first Christmas back home. They're offering 300 thousand each to come by and film you guys opening presents. I obviously said yes, but I just called to warn you," Apollo says.

""'What? You should have at least asked us first! Now we have to tell our families about this! We'd better get a cut of the profit Apollo! Bye," I say, hanging up.

"What's wrong Pipes?" Jason asks as Drew and Rachel run over to us.

"Our manager is allowing TV crews to film our first Christmas back home, and he didn't warn us about it at all!" I explain.

"Do the others know?" he asks.

"The rest of the band probably knows by now, but I guarantee that Callie and our families don't know yet." I groan.

"Oh my god, Jason! Fancy seeing you here! I see you brought your little _pet_ along too!" Drew exclaims.

"Listen guys, normally I'd be calmer about this, but I am in an extremely bad mood right now, and would appreciate it if you would back off." I say, poking at the linoleum tiles with my shoe.

"Or what, _Dumpster Queen_?" Rachel sneers, getting real close to my face.

"Remember what Annabeth said. Remember what she said," I whisper repeatedly, almost like a mantra. Rachel backs off and looks confused, and I take that opportunity to grab Jason's hand and sprint towards the exit doors. The girls try to follow, but they stumble in their heels.

"Why were you whispering something about Annabeth?" Jason asks once we get in the car.

"On our first day of school, Thalia mentioned wanting revenge, and Annabeth told us that we're role models to kids everywhere, and we need to use our fame for good." I explain as Jason starts to drive back towards my home.

"That sounds like something they'd do."Jason chuckles.

"This was fun! We should do it again sometime!" I say, as I hop out of the truck a few minutes later. As I walk in, I see Leo playing Destiny, and shouting at the screen.

"What were you thinking? Now we're going to lose!" Leo shouts as a boy with a thick southern accent apologizes.

"Leo! You're traumatizing the kid! And can you _shut up_? I have work to do!" I say, heading toward the kitchen.

"Sorry Beauty Queen," he says sheepishly.

"Who's that? Is that your girlfriend?" The boy asks.

"Nah. I'm just one of his roommates. Leo, Beck and Silena are out picking up our dresses for alterations, so if you destroy anything or get oil on the furniture, Owl Head's going to kill you. Have fun with the game! I'm going to go finish up that work," I say, walking towards the stairs.

"and clean up your room! There's scrap metal and wood everywhere!" I shout, shutting my bedroom door before grabbing my favorite guitar and my songbook.

(Thalia's POV)

I slip out of my room and down the hall into Annabeth's room, where she sits slumped over her songbook, snoring softly. Her hair fans out over her face, winding around her pencil. I wince at her position and shake her awake.

"Huh? What, what is it?" she asks, jolting awake, eyes darting around the room nervously.

"Relax Annie! You passed out on top of your songbook, and it looked really uncomfortable, so i woke you up!" I say, watching as she groans and rolls her neck.

"Thanks. What time is it?" she asks, blearily packing up her things.

"About 11:15. Did you finish up your song?" I ask, plopping down on her bed. She sits next to me and begins playing with a stuffed owl that's near her pillow.

"Almost, I just need to color code it. Sometimes I wonder if this is all worth it, Thalia." she says, looking at a picture on her wall of the 9 of us sitting on the beach the summer before we left. Annabeth is sitting on Percy's shoulders, with a huge smile on her face as Percy looks looks up at her instead of at the camera. Meanwhile, Leo's buried up to his neck in sand, as Piper and Jason crouch next to him, wearing matching grins. Frank has his hands tangled in Hazel's hair near her temples, making her look like she has antlers, while Hazel is staring intently at the camera. Nico is crouching in the sand, poking at something with a small piece of driftwood. I'm standing behind him, looking at something off to the left, out of view of the camera.

"Why?" I ask, still studying the picture intently.

"We've essentially ruined our chances at a normal life. I can't walk down the street without everyone staring at me. I can't go anywhere, can't do anything without the paparazzi following me. I'm getting tired of everything we say and do getting spread around the world. I'm worried for everyone that's associated with us. Word got out that I'm related to Bobby and Matthew, and now kids are hounding them for our autographs, and I love Percy and our friends to death, but I'm worried that our fame is going to get to them too." She says, looking over at me.

"I get it. I can't hold Nico's hand in public without camera crews filming it. I miss being normal, but we are an inspiration for children everywhere. We can't just turn our backs on this!" I exclaim, standing up.

"Thanks Thals. Goodnight," she whispers as I walk out of her room.

(Percy's POV)

I lay on top of my bed, tossing a tennis ball in the air, over and over again. I hear footsteps, and my mom and Paul walk into my small room. Paul nearly trips over my skateboard, and my mother rolls her eyes.

"Percy?" Paul asks, looking down at me. I quickly sit up, and look over at the two of them.

"What is it?" I ask, watching as Paul shifts his weight nervously.

"Well, you know how you need to start touring colleges next year?" Paul says, glancing around.

"Yeah, why?" I ask.

"We might need you to do some babysitting for us." Mom says.

"What? Why would I need to-" I start.

"I'm pregnant." She interrupts, placing her hands on her stomach.

 **(A/N: hey guys, it's been awhile hasn't it? Sorry for the wait, I had finals, but I'll probably update more often now that it's summer here! and sorry about that cliffhanger last chapter, but that seemed like the best place to end. Jasper isn't technically together yet, so you guys still can send in requests! In case you didn't know, those two people Annabeth waved to were Carter and Sadie Kane. I am planning on adding in the** ** _Trials of Apollo_** **characters, but I might have to tweak Meg's age to fit her into this. She's either going to be one of Matthew and Bobby's classmates, or somebody that Calypso has to babysit while she's watching Annabeth's brothers on Saturday. and since Rick isn't announcing Percy's baby sister's name for a long time, please review or PM me with names! i'll probably pick out of a hat, so it's completely random. thanks for sticking with me for this story! I love you all. GG over and out.)**


	9. I Came out Here to Have a Good Time

_Previously on Secretly Us_

" _I'm pregnant"_

(Percy's POV)

"Wha-what? I'm going to have a baby brother or sister?" I stammer.

"Yes. Don't tell anyone for a while. When I get far enough along, you'll have to, because you might need to skip class when I go into labor." Mom says, yawning.

"How far along are you?" I ask nervously.

"About a month. Right now, Paul and I are trying to figure out who's going to be the godmother right now, since we have no siblings." Mom says.

"Okay. If you two need any help with anything, let me know. Now get some sleep Mom. you'll probably have to get up in the middle of the night because of morning sickness anyways." I

suggest, curling up under my blankets and shutting my eyes. They walk out of my room, and I bury my head in my pillow and groan as loudly as possible. I can already see the headlines if I go anywhere near Annabeth with this kid, and as much as I love her and my friends, I don't want to be in the news as "Annabeth's Baby Daddy" anytime soon. _Mom has a plan. She always has. Just get some sleep, and get some rest before you hang out with the guys tomorrow,_ I think, before finally drifting off.

(Calypso's POV)

I slowly open my eyes, and look over to my clock. _12:18._ I roll out of bed and stumble down the stairs, hearing my father on the phone with a coworker. I make myself some tea, and sit down on the couch, turning on the television. I zone out, staring blankly at the tv and clutching my mug. The couch sinks a bit next to me, and I see my father's cold face out of the corner of my eye.

"Cal, I have some news." My father says, turning off whatever is on the tv.

"Are we moving again? Because I love it here, and I don't want to leave my friends behind," I say nervously.

"No sweetheart. I just found out that I have to go to a conference in California," he says sadly.

"Why are you so sad? You go on business trips all the time!" I exclaim, finishing off my tea.

"This one lasts for two weeks, and I can't get a flight back until the 28th. I'm so sorry pumpkin," he says.

"Alright. I'll give you your presents early, and I'll see if I can stay with one of my friends. I'll be okay Dad," I say calmly.

"Who could you possibly stay with?" he asks.

"Well, there's the girls, Percy, Nico, Frank, or Jason. I'd ask the girls, but they have five extra people living with them right now, so they have no rooms left. That means I can stay here, or I can go live with one of the guys. I know that Jason and Nico have extra bedrooms available, since Thalia and Hazel used to live with them. Percy's currently getting hounded by press because of his relationship with Annabeth, and I don't want to be accused of being the other woman. Frank's dad seems pretty strict about girls, based on what Frank's told us. If the girls have a room available, I'll go there, but I'll ask everyone just in case." I say.

"Thanks, and it appears that somebody is trying to get ahold of you," Dad says, gesturing to my phone, which is vibrating on the coffee table. I flip it over, and see that Leo's texting me.

"What does Valdez want?" I mutter.

"Who's this Bad Boy Supreme that's been texting you?" he asks.

"What? Oh my god, I'm going to strangle Leo the next time I see him!" I exclaim, changing his contact name back to Valdez.

"So who is Leo? I don't think you mentioned him as one of the people you could stay with," Dad asks, getting up.

"Leo is one of my friends. His parents died sometime last year, so he moved in with his older half brother, who happens to live with the girls, so they take up two of the rooms." I explain.

"So they're two of the five people that live with your friends? Who else is there?" he asks, wiping a stray crumb off of his pants.

"Well, Annabeth watches her younger half brothers, Matthew and Bobby, on weekends, so they take up one room. Annabeth's older brother, Malcolm, is staying with them for the holidays, so that's another room gone. Leo's brother, Beckendorf, lives there to keep an eye on Leo, and he works as their tech guy when the girls are on tour. Beckendorf's girlfriend, Silena, is the band's stylist, and she shares a room with Beckendorf. So eight rooms are taken, and I don't know if they have room for me." I say.

"Just stay here then. You already carpool with the girls, so you can go with them to and from school." he says, before getting up and walking away.

"Alright Dad, before trudging into the kitchen and halfheartedly eating a bowl of cereal. I wander around the house aimlessly for a while, unpacking the last of our boxes I'm laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling fan when Hazel texts me.

 _Hey, a new teen's club opened about half an hour from here. Since the guys are doing something or other tonight, we were going to check it out. Wanna come with?_ Hazel says.

 _Yeah! What time?_ I reply, wondering if there's anything I need to do to get ready.

 _Silena insists on giving us makeovers, so can you get here in half an hour?_

 _Okay. see you then._ I press send and go take a shower. When I get back into my room, I throw all of my makeup into my bag, and slip into a sweatshirt and sweatpants. I grab my boots out of my closet and shove my feet into them before going downstairs.

"Dad I'm going out with Annabeth, Piper, Thalia, and Hazel. I'll call when we're coming back!" I shout, grabbing car keys off of the hook by the door and walking outside. I hop in the car and turn on the radio, driving in silence.

"And more news about the Sirens, guys," the DJ says. I turn up the volume quickly. " yesterday appears to have been quite busy for the girls, as all of them were spotted wandering around their hometown, Mystic, Connecticut. Lead singer Annabeth Chase was seen at a restaurant with her boyfriend, Percy Jackson, and two friends. Drummer Thalia Grace was spotted twice, once with her rumored boyfriend, Nico Di Angelo, exiting a music store. The second time, she was seen tying a Christmas tree to the roof of a pickup truck before climbing into the passenger seat. Guitarist Piper McLean was seen exiting a local mall while holding hands with Thalia's twin brother. Pianist Hazel Levesque was spotted in a local park in the midst of a snowball fight with 3 teenagers and a group of small children. From the pictures I've seen, the girls seem to enjoy being back home. Let's hope we see more of these girls acting like normal teenagers. God knows that they need a break after their crazy year." He finishes. A pop song I don't recognize comes on, and as I turn down a winding road, I hear faint giggles from a small hill. _I hope those kids are having fun,_ I think as I pull into the driveway. I ring the doorbell, and shove my keys into my pocket. A girl with dark hair and bright blue eyes opens the door.

"Oh! You must be Callie! I'm Silena, come on in!" She chirps, opening the door wider. I can see Piper slouching on the couch with her hands lying flat on the coffee table.

"Are they done drying yet?" Piper whines.

"They should be." Silena says as Piper hops off the couch and Annabeth groans, plopping down on the floor near a hair straightener. Silena walks over and starts straightening her hair. I walk into the bathroom, where Thalia is sitting on the counter, applying some eyeliner.

"Where's Hazel?" I ask.

"she should be coming in 5,4,3,2,1." Thalia says, sliding off the counter and out of the room. Hazel slips in as she's leaving, and I quickly leave the bathroom and sit on the couch. My phone goes off with a text from my best friend back on Nantucket.

 _Hey Cal. how's Mystic treating you? Nantucket's really boring without you. I just got back from Millbrook Creek with Penelope. She pushed me in, and I'm FREEZING._ He says. I giggle, and Silena looks up from where she's straightening the last lock of Annabeth's hair, which is oddly grey in color.

"Freedom!" Annabeth shouts, before plopping down on the couch near me.

"What are you laughing at?" Silena asks, opening a bottle of blue nail polish and painting Annabeth's nails. Thalia comes in, tugging on a leather jacket. I can hear loud footsteps on the stairs, and as Silena turns to me and starts undoing the braid in my hair, Leo thunders down the steps, and nearly runs into Annabeth as she is going to change into her clothing.

"Why are you here Leo?" Thalia asks.

"I thought it was a guys night tonight! When are you leaving?" Hazel says, straightening a large chunk of her hair. There is a loud jiggling noise, and the front door opens, where Percy is sheepishly tucking a pin back into his pocket. Piper walks down the stairs and shouts when she sees the guys walking into the house. Annabeth runs out of the bathroom at the sound, tugging the skirt of her dress over her thighs.

"Why is Piper screaming?" She asks, poking her head into the room. I wordlessly point to the guys staring at their feet as Silena pulls my hair up into a large bun.

"Uh oh, Annabeth's angry," Frank mutters, slowly inching away from the fuming blonde.

"Jackson! Pins! Now!" Annabeth cries, sticking her left hand out. Percy drops a pin into her hand, and tries to back away. Annabeth raises an eyebrow, and Percy sighs as he gives her a full pack of bobby pins.

"Dude," Thalia gasps.

"I taught you to pick locks so you didn't get locked out of your house when we were kids! Not so you could break into my house!" Annabeth shouts, punching Percy's arm. He hisses in pain, and rubs his arm.

"I see you still have that killer right hook," Percy groans.

"C'mon! Those video games aren't going to play themselves!" Leo cries. The boys follow him out, and Annabeth gives Silena the pins.

"What did Percy mean by the 'killer right hook'?" I ask, looking over as Annabeth zips up her starts painting my nails a light green color.

"Oh, when we were thirteen, Percy was being bullied, so I knocked out the bully." She says.

"I wonder what happened to Matt Sloan?" Thalia says.

"I heard that he dropped out," Piper says, braiding an eagle feather into her hair.

"We're better off without him," Hazel says coldly.

"Woah, 'Zel you okay? I haven't heard you sound so angry since our second week back!" Piper exclaims as Silena moves onto doing my makeup.

"Sweetheart, come with me. I'm going to get some clothes for you." Silena says, leading me to what I assume is her room. A tall man is lying on the bed, snoring slightly. Silena enters the closet, and comes out ten minutes later, holding a pair of thick tights and a white skirt.

"Hold these. I need to grab a shirt." she says, tossing them at me and disappearing back into the closet. She returns much faster this time, holding a dark green shirt and an old pair of black boots. I go and put them on, and they fit almost like they were made for me.

"Thanks Silena!" I chirp, hopping down the stairs.

(Annabeth's POV)

"Let's get this show on the road!" Hazel says, as our bodyguard gets in the driver's seat.

"So why was Percy bullied? He seems like he'd be able to hold his own," Calypso says.

"Oh, you never saw young Percy! He was super short, and built like a stick! Annabeth had like 4 inches on him! It was hilarious!" Thalia says.

" _Annabeth, it's fine! I can deal with Sloan!" Percy says, looking up at me, from where he sits on the stairs of his porch._

" _If he makes fun of you for hanging out with us, let me know. I'll beat his ass," I growl._

" _I don't doubt it, but I can handle myself Wise Girl," he pleads, icing a bruise on his arm from his most recent confrontation with Matt._

" _I know, Seaweed Brain, but you're one of my best friends. We stick up for each other. Remember yesterday? Thalia decked Nancy Bobofit for insulting Piper!" I say, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet._

" _Only because I was holding you back, and Hazel was in the bathroom. And, she got two weeks of detention, so she's probably in huge trouble with her stepmom." Percy says. I see my dad pull into the driveway out of the corner of my eye._

" _Gotta go. But seriously Perce, Let me know if Sloan doesn't stop." I say, turning and walking towards my father's car._

" _See you tomorrow," Percy says._

" _So anyways, Mr. D's class is just ridiculous! I mean, who assigns ten pages-" I say the next day, talking to a classmate about our much hated science teacher._

" _Hey, isn't that Percy?" He interrupts, pointing over to a short black haired boy getting shoved into a locker by a taller boy with dark hair._

" _Dammit Jackson!" I whisper, shoving through the crowd._

" _Why would an ugly dork like you hang out with so many people? How much are you paying them to pretend to like you? Answer me Jackson!" the taller one yells._

" _Leave him alone Sloan!" Jason shouts from somewhere in the crowd. I push forward until I'm in the front row of people. Percy locks eyes with me, and I can see him shaking his head almost imperceptibly._

" _Sloan! Get your hands off of him!" I shout, stepping forward._

" _Annabeth don't do it, Annabeth don't do it!" Percy whispers._

" _Since he won't answer my question, maybe you will. How much is he paying you girls to hang out with him?" Matt says, letting go of Percy's shirt and turning to face me. I can see his pitbull-like eyes and the huge chip in his front tooth._

" _Excuse me? He doesn't pay us anything, and he doesn't have to! We hang out with him because we want to!" I shout, stepping closer and closer to his face._

" _Yeah right, you're too pretty to be friends with this loser!" Sloan says. I pull my right arm back and send my fist flying towards his smug face. I hear his nose crack under my knuckles, and Matt Sloan drops onto the linoleum like a sack of potatoes. I feel something warm and wet on my knuckles, and I glance down at my hand and see Sloan's blood on it._

" _Gross!" I mutter, squatting by his limp body and wiping the blood on his expensive shirt._

" _You okay Beth?" Percy asks from behind me._

" _Yeah, I'm fine. I told you that I'd kick Sloan's ass if he bugged you again. Anyways, I've gotta get to math. See you in Health!" I say, grabbing my backpack and shoving through the crowd._

" _Damn Jackson! Your girl's a badass!" a male voice says._

" _Not dating!" I shout over my shoulder._

"Annabeth? You home?" Piper says, waving her hand in front of my face.

"Sorry. Just reminiscing. What's up?" I say, glancing over at her.

"We're here." Callie says, opening the door and sliding out of the car. We all follow, and join the back of the line.

"I wonder how the guys are doing?" Hazel says, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"Oh, If Percy or Leo are running things, I'm 99% certain we're going to have to bail them out of jail." Thalia says, snorting.

"Remember last time?" Piper chuckles.

"It's been two years and Percy still won't tell me why they decided to vandalize Nancy Bobofit's house at 4 A.M." I groan.

" If Jay's running things this time, I'm assuming that it's going to be another Marvel movie night." Thalia says.

"If it's Nico's pick, I guarantee that they're watching horror movies." Hazel says.

"I think that the guys would be playing video games if it's Frank's choice." Piper says.

"So, let's hope that Percy and Leo aren't in charge for tonight then." Callie says, moving forward and through the doors. There was a huge crowd on the dance floor, and a group of tables by the bar along the wall. The girls and I plop down at a table with a few sodas, and my phone goes off as Calypso finishes telling a funny story.

 _Hey. Frank's in charge for tonight, so no need to worry._ Percy says.

"Guys, Frank's in charge tonight." I interrupt.

"Oh thank god! Now that we know that we won't be bailing anyone out of prison, let's go dance!" Piper chirps, grabbing Thalia's hands and dragging her out onto the dance floor. Calypso and I follow closely behind. We all stick together, avoiding the guys around us. It gets more and more crowded as time goes on, and by the time Thalia tries to make us go with her to the bathroom, it's nearly impossible to get past all the dancing teens and towards the bathroom.

"I'll go hold down the table!" I shout over the music. I plop down and start absentmindedly scrolling through my phone.

 _How's your guy's night going?_ I send Percy, before going back to my game of Crossy Road.

 _Leo's brought back Idiot Mode, so it's finally gotten good. How's your girls night out going?_ He responds.

 _Fun. We decided to check out that new teen's club. It's actually pretty cool,_ I send, looking up from my phone. A tall boy with greasy black hair and small brown eyes sits across from me, staring intently at my chest.

"Okay, one: my eyes are up here, and two: somebody was sitting there!" I say, raising my voice so I can be heard over the loud music blasting from the speakers behind him. He flashes a wide grin at me, and I can see crooked yellow teeth and a huge chunk of the front one missing. _I'd know that smile anywhere. It's Matt Sloan!_ I think. He glances to his left, and I follow his gaze to a table of guys, each giving him a thumbs up and laughing hysterically.

"How bout you and I get out of here?" He says, sliding his hand across my thigh and pushing my skirt up. I jump up like there's a spider crawling near my feet, and lean in close to his smug little face.

"Touch me again and I won't hesitate to break your nose and knock you out again," I hiss, before stepping away to look at his shocked expression.

"B-but," Sloan stammers.

"Oh, silly me! You don't remember, do you? Allow me to jog your memory. Remember a little scrawny boy you used to pick on? What was his name? Oh yeah, Percy Jackson," I say, my eyes flashing dangerously.

" _You,_ " He says, his face deathly pale.

"Yep, _me._ Run on back to your pathetic little friends Sloan. And the next time you even _think_ about bullying another innocent person, just remember, I _will_ find out. And when I do? We'll make you wish you were never born." I say, watching him slowly scoot his chair away as I step closer and closer.

"W-we?" Sloan stutters.

"Oh that's right, you haven't seen us in years!You'd never know that my boyfriend could kick your ass with one arm tied behind his back!" I say, showing him the most recent picture of us.

"And what are you two losers going to do to me? You probably can't even punch!" He says. I can tell that he's just acting tough for his friends.

"Oh, who said anything about it being the two of us? I know for a fact that there are ten people, including Percy and I, that won't hesitate to make your life hell. You'd better learn to fear each and every one of us, Sloan. You see, you may have scared us back in middle school, but that was years ago. Remember that little chubby kid you used to make fun of, Frank Zhang? He's Goode's star quarterback now. While you decided to continue being a cowardly jerk, my friends and I got better and stronger than ever. You might have feared my wrath when we were thirteen, but that is _nothing_ compared to what I could do to you right now," I say, breathing hard, my vision tinged red with fury. I sigh deeply. "I won't humiliate you in front of your idiot friends, Matt. I may be vengeful, but I have too many people looking up to me now. I have to set a good example. Do you have anyone who looks up to you, Sloan?" I ask.

"M-my little brother. He's six," Sloan says.

"Try being a good example for your little brother. Be somebody that you would be proud of. Instead of surrounding yourself with hate, try surrounding yourself with love. Maybe then you'll have friends who like you for who you are, not for how many people you terrorize or how many girls you sleep with. So, bye Matt. Be nicer to those around you. You never know when you're going to need to rely on them." I say, grabbing my friends' things and walking over to them.

"I don't understand how you try to talk sense into everyone you meet," Thalia says.

"Annabeth's trying to be the bigger person," Hazel says,shoving past two clearly drunk teens as they try to get inside. We follow, and I wince as the girl collides with a table.

"Yeah, but wasn't that Matt Sloan?" Piper asks, looking at me in shock.

"Yeah. His friends dared him to sleep with me, but I put him in his place. I hope he changes, for his little brother's sake." I sigh.

Argus pulls into the parking lot 5 minutes later, and the drive home is almost completely silent with all of us doing something different. Thalia has her headphones in, while Piper is absentmindedly doodling on her hand. Calypso is texting somebody, her thumbs flying over the keys. Hazel is staring out the window, sketching small animals on the window, where her breath leaves a small misty cloud. I alternate between watching my friends, answering questions on my Twitter, and texting the guys.

 _Ran into a former classmate,_ I start.

 _Who?_ Jason asks.

 _Matt Sloan,_ I reply.

 _WHAT?_ Percy sends back almost instantly.

 _Are you okay?_ Frank asks.

 _Please tell me you kicked his ass,_ Nico says.

 _Yeah, I'm fine. He asked if I wanted to hook up, but I put him in his place._ I send back.

 _WHAT? I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!_ Percy replies.

 _PLEASE TELL ME YOU WHOOPED HIS ASS!_ Nico says.

 _I threatened to knock him out again, told him that I have a boyfriend, then brought out the guilt trip. It seemed to have done the trick,_ I say.

 _Did he touch you, because if so, I'm driving all 5 of us out there to kill him._ Jason says.

 _It was nothing I couldn't handle, I've dealt with worse. It's just part of being a girl._ I reply.

 _But did he or did he not touch you?_ Frank says.

 _Yes, but once I threatened him he stopped._ I say, wondering if I should've lied to them.

 _WHAT? I'M GOING TO CRUSH THAT BOY LIKE THE BUG HE IS!_ Percy replies.

 _WHAT? AND THIS IS NORMAL FOR YOU? WHAT KIND OF HELLISH EVENTS HAVE YOU SEEN THAT MAKES THIS NORMAL FOR YOU GIRLS?_ Jason asks.

 _WHAT? THAT'S SICK!_ Nico says.

 _WHAT? ARE YOU OKAY? DID HE DO ANYTHING TO THE OTHERS?_ Frank asks.

 _WHAT?_ Leo says.

 _Guys, calm down! This wasn't even one of the bad ones!_ I plead.

 _He touched you! What's considered a "bad one" if he touched you without your consent?_ Jason asks.

 _One of the worst ones I remember happened in LA. We were walking down the street, when a guy slapped Piper's ass. It took Hazel and I to pull Thalia off of him, since Piper was completely shell shocked._ I say.

 _Oh. My. God. WHAT KIND OF PERVERTED SICKO WOULD DO THAT TO MCLEAN?_ Leo says.

 _Guys have done things like this for years. That's why dad made me take those self defense classes when I was younger. It may seem horrible to you guys, but the sad truth is that things like this are normal for us._ I reply.

 _So my sister goes through this all the time? Is that why she tries to draw as little attention to herself as possible when we're in public?_ Nico asks.

 _Yeah, Hazel and Piper try to get overlooked in public, while Thalia and I fight back. We cope in different ways, I guess._ I send.

 _I know Thalia curses like a sailor when she's angry, so what'd she say to the asshole who groped Pipes?_ Jason asks.

 _My personal favorite one was " I'm going to stick my foot so far up your ass that you'll be picking my jeans out of your corn teeth, you fucking pile of horse shit."_ I send back.

 _That sounds like my girlfriend alright,_ Nico says.

 _Yeah, I tend to judo flip first, then threaten later, but Thalia's in a class of her own. Did I ever tell you what she did when somebody drive by cat called us here?_ I send.

 _No, but now I'm interested,_ Percy says.

 _She took off running, chased the car on foot, waited till it hit a red light on Main Street, and then totally punched the guy in the passenger seat, all while cussing like a sailor and threatening his life. I was close behind, and it was one of the scariest things I've ever seen._ I say.

 _That sounds hilarious, but the fact that this is a regular occurrence scares me._ Jason says.

 _Jay, we'll be fine. If we can handle the craziness of the music business, I think we can handle a bunch of idiot men._ I send, before turning off my phone.

"Callie,somebody's trying to FaceTime you," I say, shaking her awake.

"What do you want Odysseus?" Calypso groans.

"Oh so we're back on last name basis _Atlas-Ogygia_? Penny and I just wanted to talk!" The guy says.

"Oh my god! Penelope! I missed you!" Cal chirps.

"Yo Sunshine, who are you talking to?" Thalia asks, removing her headphones.

"Friends back home. Say hi to Penelope and Matt everyone!" She says.

"Hi!" We chorus.

"Is t-that the Sirens? Are you with my favorite band right now?" Penelope stutters.

"Err… Yeah? Have you not seen any of their YouTube videos since early November? I'm in most of them!" Calypso says.

"So what is everyone like? I kind of have a general idea based on how everyone acts in the videos, but I want to know if I'm right." Matt says.

"Annabeth's kind of the mother hen of the group. She looks out for everyone, and generally keeps us out of trouble. Percy's pretty chill,I guess. He's also fiercely loyal to his friends. He and Annabeth are cute together. They also work dangerously well as a team. Annabeth comes up with the plans, and Percy supplies the muscle to get it done. Thalia's kind of the badass of the group. She's also incredibly dangerous when she wants something, but she's still really useful when it comes to getting people's attention or scaring people off. Nico's a bit creepy sometimes, since he's often really quiet, and he can be kind of intimidating to those who don't know him. But really, he's a colossal dork underneath that creepy exterior. He's also _insanely good at sneaking around._ Together, he, Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth would be nearly unstoppable. Piper's pretty cool. She's always either the bad influence or the voice of reason. She's dangerously persuasive, and Leo can _not_ be left alone with her for more than five minutes, for reasons nobody has told me," Calypso says.

"It wasn't that bad guys!" Piper protests.

"Nico and I were wiping goop off the ceiling for weeks! And I don't even know what you said to Jason, but he refused to speak to anyone for a month!" Hazel cries.

"Anyways, Jason's the sensible friend. He's the one who works with Annabeth to keep us out of trouble. When Annabeth's getting dragged off by Percy to do god knows what-" Calypso continues.

"Probably making out in a secluded spot," Piper interrupts.

"Oh shut it Pipesqueak. Remember the hallway incident? I think the only couple we haven't caught yet is Thalia and Nico!" I say.

"Nope! I've caught them," Hazel says, shuddering.

"Oh, you poor innocent bean child, you. And really Thals! Of all people to catch you, it had to be the team baby?" Piper says.

"Hazel's the group baby, as you can see. Everyone tries to shelter her, but it doesn't work. Hazel's painfully shy sometimes, but if necessary, she _can_ and _will_ kick your ass. She's protective of her friends, and she might be the last truly good person on the planet. I'd honestly believe cartoon birds straightened her hair this evening, if I hadn't seen her do it herself. Frank's the embodiment of the gentle giant stereotype. He's huge, but he's one of the sweetest guys on the planet. I don't think that he has a mean bone in his body. And then there's Leo. He's cocky, flirty, and even more of a troublemaker than Piper and Percy. His heart is in the right place, and even though his non stop flirting and joking gets annoying sometimes, he's alright. He's the biggest practical joker you'd ever meet, but I still like hanging around him." Cal says as we pull into the driveway of her house.

"Bye Callie! See you in two days!" Hazel says. Argus waits until she is inside the house before he drives away.

"Is everyone done their song yet?" I ask.

"Yeah," Hazel says.

"Yep," Piper says.

"You know it!" Thalia says.

"Good. We need to get to work on that last song so we can have it in by January third. We start tonight." I say.

"We pulling another all nighter?" Thalia asks.

"Is that really the best idea after the last one?" Hazel asks.

"Apollo came in the next day and thought that we had gotten blackout drunk! Remember? Thals was passed out on the coffee table and Hazel was halfway in the bookshelf! Annabeth, you were curled up inside an old cello case, and apparently I was lying in a pile of old coffee filters! We should never do that again!" Piper exclaims as we get out of the car.

"We wrote some of our best songs that night, girls. And we have off tomorrow, so unless you want to work over winter break, we have to do it tonight and tomorrow." I say, walking inside. We head into our practice room, and pull four cushioned chairs together around Hazel's keyboard and Thalia's drum kit. Piper has her guitar on her lap, and I have my songbook opened to a blank page, and a large mug of sharpened pencils and a few pens.

"Let's do this thing." Thalia says, twirling her sticks around her fingers. When the guys walk in at about two o'clock, the girls and I are standing around the coffee maker in our pajamas,refilling our mugs yet again.

"Give it up for coffee number six, girls! I can smell colors at this point, but we finally got all the instrumental parts worked out! We should be done with our lyrics by five! Cheers!" I say, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

"Yay!" Piper, Hazel, and Thalia cheer. We clink cups, and down all of it within five minutes.

"What's going on in here?" Leo asks, stepping into the kitchen with the guys close behind. Thalia giggles loudly, and starts making another pot of coffee. She tosses the used coffee filter behind her, where it lands and sticks to Nico's face.

"Pot number seven!" Piper squeals.

"Woohoo!" I cheer, swaying a bit.

"How much coffee did you drink?" Jason asks incredulously.

"Oh you know, six cups each." Thalia says nonchalantly, her hands shaking.

"That's not healthy!" Frank whisper yells.

"Why in the hell would you do that?" Percy asks.

"All night songwriting extravaganza!" Hazel cheers loudly.

"Shh 'Lena and Beck are _sleeeeeeeppppping!_ " I whisper.

"Okay, we're staying overnight to keep an eye on you idiots." Nico says.

"Back to work girls!" Thalia says. We leave the kitchen and go back to work.

"Oh no. That caffeine crash is going to be _brutal_." I hear Percy say as we shut the door.

(Time skip)

Groaning, I force my eyes open. Light streams in from the window. Somehow, I ended up face first on the ground in the middle of the night. I try to sit up, but the room spins slightly. My head feels like somebody's jackhammering it. I stagger down the hallway, go for some water and painkillers. Swallowing hurts. Everything hurts. I stumble back into the practice room, shakily waking everyone up. I close the curtains. We stagger around, refusing to open our eyes all the way. _Coffee crashes suck,_ I think. I wince, my thoughts are too loud, our footsteps are too loud. I manage to stumble into the living room, wrapping myself up in a blanket. I hear people stirring, Percy sits up.

"Hey, how's your head?" He whispers. His voice bounces off the inside of my skull.

"Not so loud," I whine, plopping down next to him on the couch and leaning on his shoulder. He kisses my temple, before I close my eyes again. Footsteps. Whispers. I feel the medicine starting to kick in now. I open my eyes a bit more, and see Thalia curled up on top of Nico's legs, her eyes squeezed shut in pain. Piper is curled up under Jason's blanket, an arm covering her eyes, groaning. Hazel takes a couple steps on wobbly legs before she gives up, collapsing face first into a beanbag chair. Frank is sprawled across a pile of throw pillows. I hear people on the stairs. They're coming this way. I hear a camera go off, and a small squeal. Percy groans and looks up, before jumping. I bury my head in the crook of his neck.

"Your brother is literally giving us a death glare." He hisses.

"I don't care, I'm comfy," I mutter.

"He's going to strangle me with one of those deathtrap neckties!" He whisper yells. Malcolm sits down next to Percy, clearing his throat.

"As fun as watching you guys being all lovey-dovey is, it's too early in the morning for this. " Malcolm says.

"Too loud!" Hazel groans, muffled by her beanbag chair.

"Are you girls _hungover_?" Malcolm asks incredulously.

"Nah, we pulled an all nighter. This is just bad effects of 2 pots of coffee each." I groan.

"Two pots _each?_ What were you doing that required being up that late?" He asks.

"Writing the last song for our new EP. This one wasn't as bad as the last one though. At least Piper didn't end up in a pile of used coffee filters like last time." Thalia says, her voice hoarse. She winces again, curling up under Nico's arm.

"What happened last time? You guys look essentially dead on your feet!" Jason says, wrapping a protective arm around Piper's waist.

"We worked nearly nonstop for three days, and when we crashed, we crashed _hard._ Our manager walked into our practice studio to check on us the morning after, and he honestly thought we got blackout drunk. Thals was completely sprawled out across a table, Hazel was halfway inside a shelving unit, Pipes was passed out on top of all of our used coffee filters, and I was inside an empty instrument case." I mutter, finally removing my head from the crook of Percy's neck, settling on his shoulder instead. He absentmindedly begins to twirl a lock of my hair around his finger.

"My hair smelled like coffee for _days_ ," Piper groans, opening her eyes.

"I'll go get the painkillers and water,"I groan, pushing myself to my feet. I start stumbling blindly towards the bathroom.

"I'm going with you. You can barely walk right now," Percy says, clambering to his feet and grabbing my hand. I continue stumbling, but Percy drags me along to the medicine cabinet and pulls out some Aleve. I dig out three small plastic cups and fill them with water. My painkillers are working right now. My headache's gone, and the room stops spinning. Everything comes into focus.

"Beth? You alright?" He asks, leaning on the wall.

"Yeah, my painkillers just started working. I'll be fine. When are you getting picked up?" I ask.

"You trying to get rid of me already?" He asks as we walk back to the girls. They gratefully take the pills. I start detangling my hair, and watch as my band mates open their eyes all the way. The doorbell rings. I get up and get it, and I see three people at the door, Sally, a tall boy who looks about five with large brown eyes, and a tall man with cruel green eyes and dark hair tied up into a ponytail.

"Anniebeth!" The small boy says, running forward.

"Tyson! How are you little man?" I say, scooping him up into a hug.

"Annabeth," the man smirks, winking obnoxiously.

"Triton," I say coolly.

"Hi sweetie," Sally says.

"Hi, come in guys!" I say, opening the door a bit more. I turn and lead them into the living room.

"I'm setting your bedtime to nine thirty for two weeks! Look at your dark circles!" Silena scolds.

"I know Sil, 2 pots of coffee each was a terrible idea. We had to get our last song done," Thalia says from her spot on the ground.

"Who was at the door?" Hazel asks, getting off of the ground.

"Just Sally. Percy needs to go soon." I say.

"Where is he?" Triton says, examining his nails boredly.

"Bathroom," Nico says.

"Good morning Mrs. Jackson-Blofis!" Piper chirps.

"How many times have I told you to just call me Sally?" Sally asks.

"Sorry Sally!" Piper says.

"So Annabeth, I was wondering if you'd like to go-" Triton starts.

" _Boo_ ," Percy whispers from behind me, poking me in the sides. I squeal and nearly jump out of my skin.

"So, as I was saying before my idiot brother interrupted us," Triton starts.

"No." I say.

"Excuse me?" he asks incredulously.

"You were asking me out, and my answer is no. No offense, but I'm pretty happy where I am now." I say, winking at Percy, who winks back. Triton follows my gaze towards his brother, and narrows his eyes. Percy sticks out his tongue in response, and without missing a beat, I puff out my cheeks and cross my eyes. Percy glances back at me and starts laughing uncontrollably. His laughter is contagious, and before long, I'm laughing too.

"Can you guys seriously stop acting all adorable, it's making me sick." Thalia says.

"Don't listen to her, you guys. Just keep doing what makes you happy!" Silena chirps.

"Percy!" Tyson shouts, running for his legs.

"Hi Tyson, I missed you little bro!" Percy says.

"We need to go. Paul's holiday party got moved up to this Saturday, and your father wants 'bonding time'." Sally says.

"Oh, we can reschedule our lunch Sally! I don't want to intrude." I say, nervously tugging on my hair behind my back.

"Annabeth, you're one of the few people who's responsible enough to keep these three boys in line. Plus, the teachers are offering extra credit points for watching their kids." Sally says.

"Oh extra credit? We're in!" my friends say.

"Alright. I'll bring Matthew and Bobby so they can have people to play with," I say.

"See you tomorrow!" Percy says.

"Bye!" I smirk.

"What? No kiss? I thought that was like our thing!" Percy says, before slapping his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide as saucers.

"What? You? And _him_?" Triton yelps.

"I swear to god Jackson! I was trying to avoid telling him for as long as possible!" I say exasperatedly.

"Of all people, you had to reject me for my step brother? And Jackson, you _knew_! _I told you_! _I trusted you!_ " Triton shouts. Leo whistles a low note.

"I'm going to get Tyson some ice cream," I say, grabbing Tyson's smaller hand and sprinting towards the kitchen.

"Why is Triton screaming at Percy?" Tyson asks as I fill his bowl with chocolate ice cream. I fill my own bowl with vanilla and sit down across from him. _How to explain his brothers fighting over me… this might be a problem_ , I think.

"Err well, you see, Triton was going to ask me to be his girlfriend, but I was already Percy's girlfriend, so they're fighting over who gets to be my boyfriend."

"Why can't you have more than one boyfriend?" Tyson asks, shoveling a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

"That's typically a no-no, except in very special cases." I explain.

"Oh, okay. Anniebeth, when are they going to stop fighting?" he asks, still listening to his older brothers shouting at each other.

"-I'm not breaking up with her!" I hear Percy scream.

"You knew I was planning on-" Triton shouts.

"That's why I didn't tell you that I-" Percy shouts. Tyson begins to wail, and he climbs into my lap. I pull him closer, humming softly. I hear the back door slam, and the yells are muffled.

"Annie, what if they never make up? Then we won't be allowed to visit anymore!" Tyson says, crying into my shirt.

"Tyson, they may fight, but they will always be brothers. And Percy loves you. Even though your dad doesn't like me, I'm always here if you need somebody to talk to." I say, bouncing up and down a bit.

"I'm glad you picked Percy. Triton's mean. He doesn't play with me or my friends. Percy always plays with me when we visit, and sometimes he brings you guys to come and play too!" He sniffles, getting off of my lap.

"I know big guy. Sometimes I think that Triton only goes after us because he knows how loyal Percy is to us." I say sadly.

"I hope Percy is okay," Tyson says nervously.

"Your big brother can handle himself. If he gets into trouble, you and I can save him." I say, craning my neck to see Percy and Triton fighting. Triton shoves Percy, and Percy shoves back.

"I'm bored!" Tyson moans.

"Wanna play superheroes?" I ask, grabbing a blanket from a closet just outside the kitchen as Tyson nods enthusiastically. I tie it around his neck, and he runs out of the room laughing. I follow behind, my arms outstretched, giggling. I eventually catch up to him and pick him up, spinning him around and laughing.

"I guess we have to go check on your brothers now." I groan, carrying him outside, where Triton is on top of Percy, repeatedly punching him in the face. Percy's not really fighting back, and Triton's hair has fallen out of it's ponytail. I put Tyson down and cover his eyes.

"What's happening Anniebeth?" Tyson asks.

"Tyson, I need you to do something for me. Can you turn around and go get a few ice packs and wait inside by the back door? I'll knock three times on the door when it's safe to come back outside. Think you can handle it, little man?" I ask, turning him around.

"You can count on me!" He says, walking inside. I stalk over to the fighting boys. I kick Triton off of Percy, and I gasp at how horrible he looks. His bottom lip is split, a deep cut goes across his left cheek from Triton's ring, and his left eye is darkened.

"Hands off my boyfriend, asshole." I hiss, punching Triton in the jaw, knocking him out. One of his knuckles is split to the bone, presumably from Percy's teeth. Percy groans, attempting to sit up.

 _Silena, I need you to bring a sewing needle and thread into her backyard. Triton and Percy got into a fistfight, and we need to stitch them up._ I send. Silena runs outside carrying a sewing kit and a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"Oh my god! What happened here?" Silena gasps.

"Triton got jealous of Percy for dating me," I groan, already stretching out his hand and readying the sterile needle and thread. _In and out. Breathe Annabeth. You can do this, In and out, in and out._ I think. Triton groans, and I continue stitching over the wound over and over again to ensure that it stays stitched while it heals.

"Wha's goin on, what are you doin?" he slurs.

"Shh, shh. We're stitching you up. You're going to be just fine," Silena says soothingly, moving the dark hair off of Triton's forehead. I tie the thread tightly, and cut it with a small pair of scissors from the sewing kit. Percy sits up, groaning.

"Sil can you stitch him up?" I ask. She nods silently, and Percy's eyes widen in fear. I crawl over to him and grab his hands.

"Hey, hey, hey, focus on me. Everything's gonna be just fine, Percy." I whisper, running my thumbs over the backs of his hands as Silena readies the needle. She starts to sew his wound shut. I focus on his face, not the silver needle flashing in His grip on my hands tightens involuntarily as his skin is pulled taut. I wipe some snow out of his hair.

"I know it hurts, but it's to make you get better, sweetheart," I say, watching him wince a bit as Silena finishes up her stitches. She cuts the string, and sterilizes the needle before placing it back in the sewing kit. Percy struggles to his feet, and I wipe the snow off of my butt, and trudge over to the door, where I knock three times. Tyson nervously opens the door.

"I did exactly as you said Anniebeth!" Tyson says, walking outside holding two ice packs.

"Great job Tyson! Can you give those to Percy and Triton?" I ask.

"Aww, but Triton's mean!" Tyson whines.

"If you do it, I'll let you play superheroes for an extra hour," I suggest.

"Okay!" he says.

"Dang, Annabeth, who knew you were so good with kids?" Silena says.

"Perce, can you keep an eye on Tyson? I need to have _a word_ with Triton over here." I say, crossing my arms and glaring at him as he stands.

"Got it," Percy says, leading everyone back inside.

"Triton, you can say whatever you want about me. You can do whatever you want to me, but when you involve the people I care about, that's when I draw the line." I say.

"Of course you would side with _Jackson_. Do you even care about how I feel?" he spits.

"Deep down, I care, but you messed with my family, and _nobody_ messes with my family." I say, cracking my knuckles a bit.

"Oh now you get all profound. You still won't tell me what made you decide to date that _loser,_ when I'm still available," Triton says.

" _Percy was and is ten times the man you will ever pretend to be_. I can trust him, I know that he isn't with me for bragging rights. _He's my best friend, and one of the kindest people I've ever met._ " I hiss, grabbing two fistfuls of his shirt and pulling him down to eye level.

"Honey, just wait till graduation. Your _oh so precious family_ is going to split up." he says, eyes darkening in anger.

"That may be, but we'll always find our way back to Mystic, and each other. Our family split in two last year, and now our bond is even stronger than before. Triton, if you ever want to get on our good sides, you need to understand that _we've been through too much together to be destroyed by your pettiness. I'm sorry, but Percy and I are going to be around for a while."_ I say, turning and walking back inside the house.

"What'd you do to Triton? He was staring at you when you were walking back inside. He still hasn't moved!" Tyson asks. Percy chokes on his water.

"I'm sorry, what?" He coughs.

"He's moving now!" Tyson says.

"Tyson, why don't you go wait with Percy's mommy, okay? We'll be right back. I just need to double check that your brothers aren't going to get angry at each other." I say, ruffling his mop of brown hair as I feel tears gathering in my eyes. He walks out of the room, and I turn back to Percy. Tears start flowing down my cheeks.

"I know you generally try to avoid getting angry and fighting, but you need to stick up for yourself! I can't allow you to get hurt because of me, Percy." I say, wrapping my arms around him and crying into his shirt.

"I'm sorry Beth, I don't want to hurt anyone, but I wouldn't trade this for anything." Percy says.

"I never knew you could be so cheesy," I sniffle.

"Neither did I," he chuckles.

"But I might not always be around to stitch you up after a fight," I say, wiping the last of my tears away with the back of my hand.

"I know Babe, but all we have to do is make it to graduation, and then there's no more Rachel, or Drew, or anyone else. We can do whatever we want! Your mom and my dad can't tell us what to do anymore because we'll be adults," Percy says, gesturing wildly.

"You're the best," I chuckle, wrapping my arms around his neck and raising myself onto my toes. His lips find mine, and his thumbs make lazy circles on my hips.

" _Ahem,"_ a voice says from behind us. I pull back and suck in a deep breath.

"What now Triton?" Percy asks.

"Can you maybe _not_ make out with your girlfriend right in the doorway?" Triton sneers.

"Triton, that is _enough_! I understand you're upset but that is no reason to be so rude! So what? I chose Percy and Tyson over you. Is that any surprise when Tyson tells me how poorly you treat him, and how much he loves being with Percy?" I say, breathing a little hard. Percy places a calming hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down, it's not worth getting into a fight over it." Percy whispers.

"You two need to come back in 6 days so I can remove your stitches. Don't get them wet for twenty four hours. Please don't get into any more fights, Tyson worries about how much you two hate each other," I say.

"Percy, Triton!" Sally calls.

"That's our cue," Percy says, before kissing my cheek and walking towards his mother's voice.

"Percy?" I say.

"I know, mention as little of this," he says, gesturing between us, "as possible."

"It's for the best. The less he knows about us, the better. He already wanted you to dump me, right?" I sigh.

"I know, but remember what I said about next year? Graduation? I think we're going to be just fine," Percy says, walking backwards.

"I swear, you're so _cheesy_! I thought I was going to be the ridiculous one, but it's you!" I snicker.

"Bye Annabeth, see you Saturday," Triton says, shoving past Percy.

"You're still picking me up tomorrow, right?" Percy says.

"Yep, I'm bringing pizzas and Tyson. You need to bring your skateboard," I say, shooing him over to Sally.

"Sally, is it okay if I take Tyson out tomorrow?" I ask.

"Of course!" Sally chirps, leading the boys out to the car. Tyson waves as the car pulls away.

"Thalia, Mom got out of rehab. Do you want to go with me and visit her?" Jason asks as Frank walks outside to meet his father.

"Sure, we just need to get dressed. I'll drop you off back at Dad's place so you can shower and get dressed." Thalia says, tangling her legs with Nico's. The doorbell rings, and Hazel gets up to go get it.

"Dad," she squeals.

"Hey sweetheart, where's Nico?" her father says. Hazel comes back into the room, with her father close behind.

"Oh, hey Dad," Nico says, chuckling nervously as he untangles himself from Thalia.

"Hello sir," Thalia says.

"Miss Grace," Nico's dad says cooly.

"Has Demeter come in to visit yet?" Hazel asks as Thalia goes upstairs. The water starts running.

"Yeah, she wanted me to tell you 'eat more cereal! You're too skinny!'" he says.

"Great. I'm going to be force fed cereal for _weeks_ ," Nico groans before following his father outside.

"So Annabeth, it seems Poseidon's sons _really_ like you," Leo cackles.

"Shut it Valdez. I just had to stitch up two people, and watch Tyson. " I groan, flopping onto the couch. Thalia thunders down the stairs, lacing up her combat boots.

"Let's go!" She says, grabbing Jason's arm and dragging him out the door.

"So how bad was the fight?" Piper asks. I say nothing, just burying my face in a pillow and groaning.

(Thalia's POV)

Jason tosses his keys at me, and my boots crunch in the snow as I jump forward to catch them.

"Can't wait to see Dad," I say as I start Jason's red pickup truck.

"Hera constantly talks about how surprised she is that you decided to finish school," Jason says, holding onto the handle on the ceiling for dear life as I swerve down the street.

"Great, I didn't miss her. She hates me!" I exclaim, turning onto my former street. There are a ton of cars parked in front of the house, and I cut the engine as soon as the tires hit the driveway. Jason unlocks the door, and I follow him in.

"Man, it's like nothing's changed!" I whisper, spinning around in the hallway.

"Who's there?" a woman's voice says.

"It's just me and a friend!" Jason says.

"A friend? Really Sparky? A friend? Try your twin sister!" I whisper.

"Jason, come in here!" the grating voice of my stepmother says. He walks into the room, and I follow.

"Hi Hera," I say, waving nervously.

"Thalia? Jason you found her?" Hera says.

"Found me? I've been in town since late August!" I say.

"Jason, you didn't tell us you got a girlfriend!" one of the women on the couch says. I start gagging, and Jason falls to the ground laughing. Hera just looks scandalized.

"Me- HA HA dating Thalia? HA HA HA that's rich!" he laughs, clutching his stomach.

"I'm his twin sister," I say, still retching.

"You two don't look alike," the woman says.

"I look like Mom, and she looks like Dad." Jason manages to wheeze out.

"Shower up, big bro. I'll wait down here." I say, shoving him up the stairs before plopping onto the ground.

"So Thalia, how's the band going?" Hera asks.

"Good. We decided to finish school before going back to work full time, so you'll probably see us around town. We just finished up our next project, so things are looking pretty good for us," I say, humming a few bars of the song we finished last night under my breath.

"You're in a band? That seems like a risk. Hera, you let her join a band?" a woman asks. _Clearly, she doesn't know that we're famous._ I think.

"It keeps her out of trouble, and the girls are good people. I've known them since I married Zeus. If Thalia wants to make music, she can. It's better than finding her passed out drunk." Hera says.

"Thanks Hera. Where are your bandages?" I ask, looking down at some blisters on my hands from my drumsticks.

"Third kitchen cabinet from the left," she says. I quickly bandage up my hands and come back into the room.

"Thanks," I say.

"So what do you play?" the woman asks.

"Drums. That's why my hands are all bandaged up right now." I say.

"Let's go Thalia, " Jason says, stepping into the room.

"Can you drive?" I ask, showing him the bandages and blisters on my hands as we walk outside.

"Alright. Your drumstick blisters are getting really bad," he says, taking the keys and starting the car.

"You should have seen us on tour! Those scars on the inside of Piper's fingers are from her guitar strings, Annabeth could barely talk for a week after we finished up, and my blisters were so bad that I couldn't bend my fingers for _weeks_." I say as Jason carefully drives down the street.

"I'm glad you decided to come back, Thals." Jason says.

"Can you believe that we actually didn't want to? Apollo wanted us to finish school, and he decided to send us back here, because he knew that most people here had known us for years, and were less likely to freak out." I say, laughing.

"Yeah. People honestly didn't mind that you came back , with the exception of the popular girls. We weren't even allowed to mention you guys near the girls, because they'd freak out and accuse us of wanting to break up with them for you." He says, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Is that not what Percy did? Because he dumped RED and started dating Annabeth about two weeks later." I ask.

"Yeah, but we all knew that Percy had a thing for Annabeth. Even Sloan saw the tension. I think the only one who didn't know that Percy and Annabeth had a thing for each other was Triton. And apparently Annabeth had to knock Triton out in order to get him to stop attacking Percy. Then she and Silena had to stitch both of them up. Triton's still angry at him, so I don't know how Percy's going to do." He says.

"I think we're here," I say as a large, imposing mansion comes into view. He slowly drives up the winding driveway, and I hop out of the car, and I try the doorknob. It's locked.

"Jay, you got a key?" I ask as he comes up to the door.

"No," he sighs. I dig around in my pockets and find a paper clip. I quickly bend it to fit the keyhole and a couple of minutes later, I force the door open.

"Let's go," I say, stepping into the dark house.

"Mom?" Jason calls, wandering through the rooms.

"Mom? Where are you?" I shout, turning away from Jason and walking towards another hallway. His voice grows fainter.

"Mom?" I say, poking my head into the fourth room. She's sprawled across the ground, her skin pale and slightly blue in color. in her hand is an empty bottle of wine, and beer and vodka bottles are strewn around the room.

"Jason, get in here!" I shout, kneeling over her body and desperately checking for a heartbeat. There's a faint one, but I can hear her heart. Her breathing is shallow, and I pry open her mouth and roll her onto her side. There's a puddle of vomit pooling under her head as Jason runs into the room.

"Mom, please, wake up!" I cry, furiously shaking her shoulder. It's ice cold, and a feeling of dread washes over me.

"No, no, no! This can't be happening! She just got out of rehab," Jason chokes out, a hand over his mouth.

"Call 911!" I sob.

"My mom's on the ground in a puddle of her own vomit and she won't wake up!" he says into the phone.

"5942 Grant Street, please hurry! My sister's gotten the vomit out of her throat, but her heartbeat's really faint, she's unresponsive, and she's ice cold!" he says, hanging up.

"Mom, c'mon, stay with us, don't you die on me!" I say, grabbing her wrist and feeling her pulse. Jason gingerly moves Mom's hair out of her vomit, and goes to wait for the paramedics. I start to tear up, and when the paramedics come in, they find me sobbing over my mother's limp body as I try to pry the wine bottle out of her stiff hand. They load her onto a stretcher, strap an oxygen mask to her face, and wheel her out of the house. Jason and I hoist ourselves up into the ambulance, and the doors slam shut.

"You did good, sis." Jason says as I squeeze Mom's hand.

"How? She's still unconscious, and who knows if she's even going to wake up," I say, laughing bitterly. The ambulance turns down another street, and I hear cars whiz by.

"If you hadn't drained her throat, she definitely would have died. How'd you know to do that?" he asks.

I saw somebody doing that to their friend in the bathroom at a party when they were passed out drunk, so I figured it was worth a shot," I say. The doors to the ambulance are thrown open, and a team of doctors pulls the stretcher into the hospital doors. Jason and I sit down in chairs in the waiting room, and I absentmindedly scroll through my phone.

"Grace," a nurse says. Jason and I scramble over. "Due to your quick thinking in draining the alcohol-induced vomit from her throat, your mother's chance of survival is greatly increased. Unfortunately, she is in serious condition." I breath a sigh of relief at the fact that my mother isn't dead, and return to sitting on my uncomfortable chair, with Jason to my right,

until the small television in the room switches to the 12 o'clock news roughly an hour and a half later.

"We have just been informed that former 80's soap opera star Beryl Grace has been rushed to the hospital after being discovered unconscious by her two children. Thanks to quick thinking by her daughter, famed drummer Thalia Grace, who prevented her mother from choking to death, and Beryl's son, who contacted authorities, Miss Grace is in serious condition. We will continue to update this story as more information is revealed." the newscaster says, before I zone out. I don't know how long I sit, staring blankly at the floor, when I hear the squeak of many shoes on linoleum. I look up, and see all of my friends, each offering up candy and reassuring smiles.

"We came as soon as we heard. Are you okay?" Callie asks, giving us both a pack of gummy worms. Everything hits me at once, and I start to sob.

"It's okay. Just let it out," Hazel says, rubbing soothing circles on my back. Percy scratches at his stitches absentmindedly, but stops when Annabeth squeezes his hand. Jason lets out a strangled cry, and starts crying softly. Our friends sit down, and Nico collapses into the chair beside me. Annabeth and Percy sit on the ground at my feet, and Percy places his head in Annabeth's lap. Frank and Hazel are setting up a card house by Jason's left leg, and Piper's sitting next to him, intertwining their fingers and humming softly. Leo's fiddling with a remote control helicopter, and Calypso's stretched out beside him, watching intently as he explains what he's doing to make the toy run better.

"You know, you could set up a pretty good business fixing up toys for kids after the holidays are over," she says.

"You're right, Sunshine!" Leo says.

"You okay?" Nico whispers, intertwining our fingers and letting me rest my head on his shoulder.

"I found my mother passed out drunk, and narrowly saved her from choking to death on her vomit. don't know if or when she'll wake up. Of course I'm not okay," I whisper back, staring down the hallway they took my mother down, knowing that she is fighting for her life in a room down there. Piper's whispering something in Jason's ear, and he nods slowly. I close my eyes, and try to go to sleep, passing the hours until we hear more about Mom.

"Grace," the nurse says. I check the 's about 5 o' scramble over to her, and Nico keeps his grip on my hand, almost like a stabilization point. "We've got her stable for now. She's still unconscious, and I'd suggest going home for tonight. We'll call if anything changes with her condition, but it appears that she's going to be okay. Might I suggest sending her to rehab after she's released?"

"She just got out yesterday. We forgot to get rid of her extra alcohol before she came back. Neither of us live there anymore, so when we went to visit we found her like this," Jason says.

"We're going to keep her here for observation for two to three days after she wakes up." the nurse says, turning and walking back into the room.

"You two don't have to go to school tomorrow if you don't feel up to it." Annabeth whispers in my ear, wrapping her arms around me.

"I'm going. I need something to take my mind off of this," I say.

"I'll go too. Mom didn't really make an effort to be part of our lives, and I don't want to get behind on my schoolwork," Jason replies.

"Are you sure? We can bring your stuff over, and we'd understand if you decide to stay here." Calypso says.

"We're sure," I say. Percy's phone rings, and it's a call from a blocked number.

"Ugh, hang on," he groans, walking away. "RED, how many times have I told you to _stop_ calling me? I'm not going back to you! I'm happy with Annabeth! Goodbye."

"Hey, we need to head out. Do you want a ride back to Jason's truck?" Hazel asks.

"Yeah," I say, following my friends out. Piper keeps her grip on Jason's hand constant, and even as we're driving down the road, she checks to make sure he's okay.

(Rachel's POV)

 **A/N: I don't think I've tried this yet, so wish me luck!**

I slam my phone down on the table in frustration.

"What's that blonde nerd have that I don't?" I mutter, starting to pace back and forth. I don't exactly look like a popular girl right now, with my mismatched socks, paint-and-doodle-covered clothing, frizzy red curls, and my lack of makeup. _Where did this all go wrong?_ I think, flopping onto my bed.

" _Hey, do you know where Ms. Clio's history class is? I just got transferred into that class," I say to a group of people. I didn't know it at the time, but these nine people would become my worst nightmare._

" _Seaweed Brain, you have that class next, right?" A blonde girl that I would later come to know as Annabeth says, shoving a cute black-haired boy forward._

" _Hey, I'm Percy. You're Rachel, right?" he says, hefting his heavy backpack onto his shoulder._

" _Yeah, so can you show me where the classroom is?" I ask._

" _Yeah, I'm in that class too! Follow me," He says, leading me down a hallway. I've already developed a small crush on him. Damn hormonal teenager problems._

" _Thanks Percy!" I say. A pale arm grabs me as I attempt to walk in after him, and I whirl around to see two girls around my age, one with sleek black hair, and the other with curled platinum blonde hair._

" _Listen, Rachel, is it? Don't go around associating yourself with those kinds of people. Percy and his group of friends are untouchable. The guys are real cute, but the girls will rip your head off if you touch them. Seriously, the blonde one, Annabeth, actually broke a dude's nose for messing with Percy. Nobody can get a crack at those boys until those girls are out of the way," the black-haired girl who would become the feared Drew Tanaka, the girl who rules the school with an iron fist, says._

" _Come with us," the platinum blonde-headed girl says. These two girls transformed me into the monster I am today, heels, tight clothing, and all. Within a month, I was a permanent fixture at the popular table. I was overtaken with my desire to fit in and steal Percy away from his friends._

I realize that I have started to tear up, and the paint splotches on my sweatpants begin to blur as tears pool up in my eyes. I remember the time my busy father took me to see _Wicked_ on Broadway two weekends ago, and I realize how well one of the songs fits my current situation, somehow, I remember the lyrics, and find myself singing softly as tears drip onto my pillow.

 _Hands touch, eyes meet  
Sudden silence, sudden heat  
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl  
He could be that boy  
But I'm not that girl_

 _Don't dream too far  
Don't lose sight of who you are  
Don't remember that rush of joy  
He could be that boy  
I'm not that girl_

 _Ev'ry so often we long to steal  
To the land of what-might-have-been  
But that doesn't soften the ache we feel  
When reality sets back in_

 _Blithe smile, lithe limb  
She who's winsome, she wins him  
Gold hair with a gentle curl  
That's the girl he chose  
And Heaven knows  
I'm not that girl_

 _Don't wish, don't start  
Wishing only wounds the heart  
I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl  
There's a girl I know  
He loves her so  
I'm not that girl…_

 __I start to cry even harder, realizing that if I stayed true to myself, I would've had a shot with Percy. I remember Percy looking at Annabeth like she was not just his entire world, but his universe. He never looked at me like that. No matter what I tried, he and Annabeth were going to happen, and I tried so hard to keep Percy away from her. I guess they're cute together, but still, a part of me will always love Percy, even though I know he will never love me back. Every time I blink, pictures of the two of them burn into my eyelids. My chest hurts, and I imagine that this is what heartbreak feels like. Maybe I can move on, try to make amends with the girl who took away my first real love. _Never. I can never stop blaming her,_ I think, shutting my eyes. Tears continue to leak out, and I fall asleep with my body covered in random splotches of paint and my hair sitting on my damp pillow.

 **(A/N: Poor Rachel... In case you didn't know, the music teacher, Ms. Aoide and Ms. Clio are named for two of the muses: Aoide is the Muse of Song as named by Varro, and Clio is the Muse of History as named by Hesiod. GG over and out.)**


	10. The Never Ending Chapter

Chapter 10

(Percy's POV)

I roll out of bed, slamming my hand onto my alarm clock. I quickly get dressed for school, wolf down some food, grab my skateboard, and hang out with my mother for a little while.

"Good morning Mom," I say.

"Good morning," She mutters, curling up under her blanket on the couch. She looks slightly pale and greenish.

"Is everything okay? No problems with the baby or anything, right?" I ask nervously.

"Yeah, just morning sickness," she groans, diving off the couch and sprinting for the bathroom. The doorbell rings, and Annabeth waits at the door. Loud retching noises come from the bathroom, and Annabeth looks absolutely horrified.

"Hang on," I say, getting a damp towel and heading into the bathroom.

"Is Sally okay?" Annabeth asks.

"Yeah, just a stomach bug." I reply lying through my teeth.

"Mom, I'm heading out! Call me or Paul if things get too bad!" I shout.

"Okay, have fun!" she shouts back, before retching again. Annabeth grabs my hand, and we walk outside.

"I hope Sally's okay for tomorrow," Annabeth says once we get into the car.

"She should be okay," I reply. The rest of the ride is silent, and I absentmindedly twirl Annabeth's hair around my my fingers as she reads a giant book. Thalia and Jason look miserable, their eyes rimmed in red and faces puffy. Nico keeps a watchful eye on her, making sure that she doesn't sink too far into her own thoughts. Jason stares out the window, silent. Piper tries desperately to get Jason to speak, to say something, anything. Even Frank and Hazel are quiet, checking their backpacks to make sure that they have all of their supplies. Leo slouches in his seat, twirling a pen around his fingers and frowning. Calypso opens her mouth like she wants to say something, then closes it. The car slows to a stop, and Annabeth looks up.

"Guys, we've been friends for how long? And when other horrible things happened, we got through them together. We can't fall apart now!" she cries.

"You're right. We can do this," Hazel says.

"Yeah," Jason croaks, his voice scratchy. Thalia nods in response.

"Yeah, besides, we have to babysit like 30 kids tomorrow, and it'd be much easier if we worked together. Or we can each take three kids and go," Nico says.

"Eh, no matter what, I'm on Mini Monster duty, and I probably have to keep Triton from murdering Percy, _since someone refuses to fight back_ ," Annabeth says, glaring at my slightly swollen lip and the stitches across my cheek.

"Hey, he was angry at us, and I'd rather him take it out on me than you or Tyson," I protest.

"Wait what happened?" Calypso asks as we walk inside.

"Percy's step brother, Triton, has a thing for Annabeth, and there was this huge fight. Percy refused to fight back, and Annabeth ended up having to go out there, kick Triton's ass, and stitch both of them up while also watching Percy's younger half-brother, Tyson," Leo says.

"Do you know how hard it was to explain to a five year old boy why his brothers were attempting to kill each other? And I literally had to kick Triton off of this idiot, then knock him out to get him to actually stop freaking out so I could fix his hand! I swear Jackson, you're lucky that I was able to fix you two up without it ending up in the news or with you two in the hospital!" Annabeth says, punching my arm before we split off to head to our respective lockers.

"Jackson, what happened to your face? You look like absolute shit!" Clarisse shouts. I groan and slam my head into my locker repeatedly. Annabeth walks by, engaged in conversation with Thalia, and without looking, grabs my hair and pulls me away from my locker.

"Nice one," Thalia says hollowly as I fall into step with them.

"Where's Beauty Queen?" I ask, looking around for any sign of her.

"She's making sure that Jason's alright," Annabeth says. Leo falls into step on my other side.

"Hey guys," he says, picking at a loose thread on the strap of his backpack.

"Hey Valdez. Did you finish decorating the tree?" Thalia asks. I fall behind, dragging Annabeth with me.

"Oh, I need to ask you something!" She says.

"What is it?" I reply.

"Well, my personal channel reached a million subscribers recently, and I promised to do a special video to celebrate. Most of my fans want me to do the boyfriend tag, so how would you like to be the guest of honor in my newest video?" She asks, turning the doorknob to the music room.

"Fine, I'll do it. Tell me when and where," I say.

"Tonight after the skatepark?" She says, walking inside.

"That works for me," I reply, following her in. Hazel sits at the piano, playing softly as Frank shares the seat with her, turning the pages for her.

"So, what's the boyfriend tag?" I ask.

"Oh, we just have to answer questions about each other and stuff," Annabeth whispers, sketching out the start of another building in her sketchbook. Thalia, Nico, Calypso, and Leo all come in.

"Where are Piper and Jason?" Leo asks.

"We thought they were with you," Hazel says.

"I think I have an idea," Annabeth says.

"The empty classroom! Of course!" Thalia says.

"And just _where_ would that be?" Nico asks.

"C'mon! We have some friends to find," Hazel says, sliding off the bench and catching up to Thalia and Annabeth in the hallway.

"Do you-" I ask.

"I'm as lost as you are," Frank mutters. We follow them down the hallway, and come to a dusty classroom that's oddly empty. Piper is in there, sweeping the dust into a bin. I can hear her singing an old lullaby, and Jason comes into view, his face blotchy and red. He has a small smile on his face, and I can see Piper grin back.

"How?" Callie asks.

"We used to hide out back here when the bullying got too bad," Hazel says.

"You know what my grandad always used to do when I felt sad? He'd sing me this song:" Piper says, before opening her mouth and singing.

 _Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

 _A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

 _Lay down your head, and close your eyes_

 _And when they open, the sun will rise._

 _Here it's safe and here it's warm_

 _Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

 _Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

 _Here is the place where I love you._

 _Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

 _A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray_

 _Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_

 _When again it's morning, they'll wash away._

 _Here it's safe and here it's warm_

 _And here the daisies guard you from every harm_

 _And here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

 _Here is the place where I love you._

 _Here is the place where I love you._

Annabeth knocks on the door twice, and Thalia pokes her head in.

"We need to get to class," she says.

"Thanks," Piper says, wiping a layer of grime off of her backpack. Jason's face is slowly returning to normal, and as Piper starts talking to the girls, Jason starts opening up a bit more.

"Are you okay bro?" I ask.

"She still hasn't woken up," he says sadly.

"All we can do is hope for something to get better," Leo says, patting his shoulder.

"Your mom is going to get better. If there's anything I know about Beryl Grace, it's that she's a fighter. Thalia was going to introduce me next week, but it might happen while she's in the hospital," Nico says.

"Hey, at least your girlfriend's mother doesn't hate you and your entire family. I don't know how much Athena knows about us, and I don't want to know. Annabeth accidentally called me Sweetheart once, and she threatened to dismember me and feed me to the wolves," I say to Nico.

"Yeah, Athena's actually terrifying. You have to have a _serious_ death wish to get involved with that family," Frank says, laughing nervously.

"Annabeth's worth it," I reply.

"I swear Jackson, can't you go _one_ day without making me look like a terrible boyfriend?" Nico says, rolling his eyes in mock frustration.

" _Whipped,"_ Leo coughs. I laugh, and thump him right between the shoulder blades.

"Again, Annabeth is unstoppable when she's angry. I'd prefer not to break a bone again," I say.

"Fair point, remember Matt Sloan? Or Nancy Bobofit? I still have nightmares about that," Frank shudders. I clench my jaw in anger at the mention of Sloan's name.

"Okay, let's talk about something else, before Percy breaks something," Jason says. We walk into the classroom. Rachel stares sadly at me, and I almost feel bad.

"Welcome back class. How was your unplanned vacation?" The teacher asks. The class is silent. I see Thalia and Jason look down sadly. Annabeth glares at me, and I put my hands up. Nico tries to comfort Thalia, and Piper grabs Jason's hand. Hazel is staring out the window, and Frank is studying something for another class, his tongue poking out from between his lips as he concentrates. I feel somebody watching me, but I don't look.

"Alright then. Today's a free period, since I have to rework our schedule for the rest of the year," she tries again. The class erupts into chaos, and we all go to the corner, and Thalia and Jason turn their phones off of silent. Annabeth dumps out a small bag of highlighters.

"Oh god not again," Piper groans.

"Songbooks in girls. I'll start color coding," Annabeth says. The girls begrudgingly hand in their books, and Annabeth sets to work.

"What's happening?" Leo asks. Annabeth grabs the next book.

"Last step in the songwriting process. Annabeth color codes everything," Thalia says.

"Thals, do you want this line?" Annabeth asks, sliding it across the floor to Thalia along with a yellow highlighter.

"Yeah, I can do that," she says, highlighting that section.

"Alright, that was the last thing for that song. I'm on the third-" she says, before being interrupted by Jason's ringtone. We fall silent as Jason puts it on speaker.

"Hello. It's one of the nurses from the hospital, calling about your mother's condition. I'm pleased to tell you that she has woken up, and is curious as to where you two are. Feel free to visit at your leisure," a crackly voice says. Thalia jumps up and down, laughing happily. The girls crowd around her, squealing, holding hands and jumping with her. Leo just tackles Jason with a hug, laughing.

"Group hug!" Leo shouts. The girls shove Thalia into the middle of the circle, and we all celebrate.

"Go to your mother. Nico and I will pick up your homework!" Piper cries. I can see people staring at us, but I'm too happy to care.

"Thanks guys," Thalia says, turning at the door.

"You'd do the same for us. See you tomorrow," Calypso says, waving.

"Miss Grace! Mister Grace! Where are you going?" The teacher asks.

"Hospital," Jason says, before running out of the room. Annabeth returns to color coding, this time with a huge smile on her face. Piper sits on top of a desk, swinging her legs idly as she strums an old guitar she found in the closet. Hazel absentmindedly taps out a beat on the floor as Annabeth moves on to the final book. Nico leans against the wall, closing his eyes. Frank slouches next to him, staring intently at Hazel. Leo shoves a handful of chips into his mouth as he draws a scale model of a helicopter. Calypso's doodling all over her science notes. Annabeth tosses the last highlighter into her bag, and sits up.

"Hey," I whisper, poking her side. She squeaks and scoots away. I scoot closer and start tickling her. She falls over, laughing and kicking the air.

"Y-you asshole! Quit it!" She cries, holding her sides and kicking at me.

"Nope," I reply, smirking. Piper looks up, and cracks a smile at what's happening.

"You two make me sick," Nico says.

"Mission accomplished," I snicker. Annabeth sits up, groaning.

"I hate you," she groans.

"No you don't, you love me," I say, grinning.

"Sometimes I wonder about that," she deadpans. Leo starts cackling as I try my best to look hurt.

"Wow," I say. She shrugs in response.

"What can I say, you're a pain in the ass sometimes," she replies, wrapping a curl around her finger.

"Sometimes? More like all the time," Nico huffs.

"Eh, he's alright," Hazel says.

"He's way overprotective at times, but his heart's in the right place," Frank mutters. Calypso looks up from her notes, humming softly. Nico takes a sip of water from his bottle. He gets up, and goes over to the teacher, who nods at him.

"I'm going to the bathroom, be right back," he says, passing by us to leave the room. I see Luke leave through the front door out of the corner of my eye, and I hope that their paths won't cross.

(Nico's POV)

I walk down the hallway, fiddling with my keychain. The hallways are silent, and I feel a strong sense of dread. I shove my hands deeper into the pockets of my leather jacket and continue on my way. Just as I reach the door, I large tanned fist slams against it. I jump nearly a foot in the air.

"A word _Di Angelo_?" A voice says from behind me. I whirl and see a furious Luke Castellan. _Oh no,_ I think.

"What's up?" I say, scooting away from the door slowly.

"Stay away from Thalia," he growls, getting into my face. I can smell coffee and cigarette smoke on his breath.

"At the end of the day, it's her decision. And even if we break up, chances are high that I'm still going to be around. Hazel's my sister, remember?" I say.

"I don't care. Stay far away if you know what's good for you," he growls. I start heading past him towards the bathroom.

"I'd suggest hiding the signs that you're smoking in school a lot better," I say, before the door slams in his face. _Oh thank god I didn't get in a fight,_ I think as I wash my hands. I open the door a crack and peer out. There's no sign of Luke anywhere, so I quickly walk back to the room. Annabeth and Percy are sprawled across the floor, sharing a pair of headphones and watching a YouTube video. Leo is drawing a mustache on Frank's face as he dozes off against the wall. Hazel and Piper are talking about next Friday's Winter Ball, and Calypso jumps in from time to time, but mostly she's laughing at Leo's antics. I plug in my headphones and turn up the volume, pretending not to notice Khione staring at me, and Luke giving me a death glare.

(Thalia's POV)

I grab Jason's hand, and sprint full speed into the hospital.

"Jeez, you got fast!" he huffs as I abruptly stop in the waiting room.

"Running from paparazzi," I pant.

"Hi, two people to visit Beryl Grace," he says to the person behind the desk.

"She refuses to see anyone besides her daughter and son," she says without looking up from her computer.

"That's us," I say.

"Prove it," she deadpans, looking up at us. I slap my student ID card down on the counter, and Jason shows his driver's license.

"Room 413. Down that hallway, third room on the right," she says, pointing to her left. We walk down the hallway quietly. I hear a woman wailing desperately for somebody to wake up as we shut the door. Mom sits up at the sound. I gasp at how terrible she looks. Her typically styled blonde hair is frizzy and tangled, and her skin is blotchy and greenish.

"Mom," Jason croaks.

"Hi kids. I'm so sorry to worry you like that," Mom says, her voice raspy.

"We're just happy you're okay," I choke out.

"C'mere Thalia. I heard what you did to save my life, and thank you," she rasps.

"It was nothing mom. Can you promise us that you won't drink anymore? I want you to stick around for awhile," I sniffle.

"Yeah, you have to meet Nico! He's captain of the soccer team and Thalia's boyfriend," Jason says, elbowing me in the ribs.

"And you have to meet Piper! She's our guitarist and she's dating Jason. Our friends were all here yesterday, but we have school today, so they're all there right now," I say, watching Jason blush when Piper's name is mentioned.

"Mom, we're going to head back to your place, get rid of all your alcohol, and then head back to school. Maybe we'll bring Piper and Nico by tonight," he says, dragging me out to where Argus waits with the car. I give him the address and we speed down the road. I nervously twirl one of the bright streaks in my hair around my fingers. Argus slows to a stop, and I pick the lock. I head straight for the room where I found her, and Jason heads for the fridge. I start to pick up the bottles strewn around the room, and I try to get as much vomit out of her carpet as possible. There's broken glass everywhere, and I curse under my breath as my finger is cut on a shard from a vodka bottle. I wipe away the blood, wrapping my finger in a paper towel before going back to cleaning. When I finally finish up, I go for the medicine cabinet, bandage my finger, then go to the kitchen, where Jason puts the last bottle of wine into a trash bag.

"One more thing," I say, lugging Jason's trash bag over to the bar area, then swiping an arm across the surface, flinging the bottles into the bag. Then I empty the cabinets and unscrew the keg from the bottom of the beer tap. Straining under its weight, I manage to pour the contents down the sink.

"Good eye," Jason calls.

"Thanks. I didn't wanna risk Mom drinking from the beer tap. I think there's a water tank upstairs. Can you go find it?" I ask, tossing the empty keg into a separate bag. He leaves the room, and returns a few minutes later, carrying a large jug of water. I unscrew the cap and screw the jug onto the hose. Jason lugs the bags over to the trash cans outside, and drops them in.

"Let's go," I say, dusting off my knees. Jason follows me out to the car, where Argus is waiting to take us back to school.

"We should be back two minutes before lunch," Jason says, looking at his watch.

"We should bring our friends to visit Mom tonight," Jason says.

"One problem. Kelp Head and Owl Head are going out tonight, so they're out. Hazel, Frank, Callie, and Leo are going to see that new movie that's out, so the only people that aren't doing anything are Piper and Nico," I say as Jason pulls open the door to the front office. We sign back in, buy our lunches, and look around for our friends. Jason points them out, and we plop down in our usual seats.

"Back so soon?" Leo asks.

"We wanted to get a quality education," I say, stabbing at a chunk of mystery meat with my fork.

"It was Jason's idea, wasn't it?" Percy deadpans, before shoving a chunk of meat into his mouth.

"I wonder what this actually is?"Annabeth says thoughtfully, poking at the brown lump on her tray.

"I don't know, but I'm hungry," Percy says.

"You're always hungry. I swear, I will never understand how your metabolism is so fast," Annabeth groans, putting her head in her hands.

"What's wrong Annabeth?" Hazel asks nervously.

"Just remembered that the twins have to be picked up from school. Perce, you okay with another stop on the way back?" Annabeth says, jabbing at what I assume is supposed to be mashed potatoes with her fork. Percy shrugs.

"So how's your mom doing?" Nico asks, tapping his fingers on the table.

"She's doing okay. She agreed to stop drinking alcohol, and she wants to meet you and Piper," I say, poking at the vegetables on my tray. Piper freezes at the sound of her name, a forkful of salad halfway to her mouth.

"Me? Why would your mom want to meet me?" Piper says, panicking.

"Pipes, chill. Jason was trying to make fun of me for being in a relationship, so I brought you up. Mom overheard and wants to meet you two tonight," I reply.

"Alright, I can do this," she says, shoving the rest of her salad down her throat, before getting up and throwing the container away.

"Here comes trouble," Calypso groans, as Luke, Rachel, Drew, Reyna, and Khione swagger over to our table. Reyna looks apologetic, but everyone else looks _pissed_.

"Not again," I hear Leo hiss, as he tries to silently eat the rest of his food.

"What do you want?" Annabeth says coldly. Percy's holding her back at this point, desperate to avoid a fight. Hazel is rewriting all of our songs in her neatest handwriting so we can all read and learn the lyrics. Frank looks at us worriedly.

"We want you sluts to leave," Drew sneers, crossing her arms.

"And I want Thalia back," Luke slurs. His eyes are red and bloodshot, and he sways side to side.

"Luke are you _high_?" I ask incredulously.

"I'm not high, you're high!" he says angrily.

"Oh dear God," Percy groans.

"Do we report this?" Hazel mutters. Leo sneaks away from the table, dragging Calypso along.

"It looks like Leo and Cal are getting help," Nico whispers. Annabeth stops struggling, and is instead watching Luke like a hawk.

"Bloodshot eyes. Perce, gimme that tennis ball," she whispers. Percy passes the tennis ball over to her, and without missing a beat, she tosses it at Luke. He doesn't dodge, and it hits him in the gut, before he finally moves to the side in an effort to dodge the ball that has already hit the ground.

"Delayed reflexes," Piper gasps.

"Yep, he's high," Jason groans.

"Now what?" Frank asks.

"Back to our demands. You sluts need to get away from these guys," Rachel sneers.

"Umm, RED? Look at what they're wearing, and then look at what you're wearing. And don't think I didn't know about you and Octavian at that party the week before school started, or you and the entire soccer team at Yancy," Percy says.

"Wait what? You knew about her cheating on you, and you didn't say anything? What the hell Percy?" Annabeth asks.

"Eh, I didn't really see the two of us going anywhere, and I was thinking about dumping her anyway. I didn't really care," he shrugs. Rachel looks hurt, and Annabeth raises an eyebrow.

"Really? That seems a bit harsh to say right in front of her," she says, punching his arm.

"Oh sorry, but she called my girlfriend and my best friends sluts after cheating on me with 12 guys. I think that gives me the right to be a little rude," he replies.

"Sally would actually murder you if she heard you say that. Guys, I'm going to go take Percy and make sure he calms down," she says, grabbing Percy's arm and dragging him out into the hallway, bumping into Leo, Calypso, and two teachers who are coming over here. Luke gulps and tries to run, but Jason blocks him. The teachers grab Luke, and haul him off to the principal's office, kicking and screaming.

"Well then, that got rid of him," Nico mutters. Hazel gets up and stalks over to the girls, who flinch. I don't quite understand how they look terrified of a girl who's only five feet three inches tall, then I see her face. The sweet, innocent Hazel Levesque we know and love is gone, replaced by a stone cold badass who looks like she's figuring out the best way to destroy everything you care about.

"I'm normally really nice, but I _absolutely do not_ tolerate people insulting my family.Y'all better back up, or I'll rip out those cheap ass extensions before y'all can even blink. _Go_ ," she growls. Drew, Khione, and Rachel turn and stumble away.

"Thalia, Jason, I heard about your mom. Are you two okay? I can tell those three to lay off if you don't want to deal with all of this right now," Reyna asks.

"We'll be fine. She woke up this morning, but if you can get those three to stop for a little while, that'd be amazing," Jason says. Reyna nods, and walks away.

"Nico and I are going to find Fish Face and Owl Head," I say, grabbing his hand and leaving the cafeteria through the doors Percy and Annabeth left through. I hear her voice down the hallway, and I go towards it. Percy sits on the ground, knees drawn into his chest as Annabeth sits next to him, squeezing one of his hands. I turn away, and drag Nico back into the cafeteria.

(Annabeth's POV)

"Deep breaths," I say, squeezing Percy's hand as he sits on the ground, shaking from rage.

"Okay," he mutters, gritting his teeth.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" I ask. His jaw is clenched so tightly that he can only shake his head.

"Hey, hey, focus on me. Remember, graduation? Everything's going to be great. We're going to move to New York, and I'll work on my music and study architecture, and you can study whatever you want," I say, before pressing my lips to his. His jaw unclenches bit by bit, and eventually kisses back. I pull away, smirking as he stares at me with an annoyed expression on his face.

"You good?" I ask, getting to my feet and pulling him up after me.

"I'm fine, but if those girls come anywhere near you, I'm going to rip their arms off," he growls.

"C'mon, let's go back to lunch," I laugh, walking down the hallway and pushing open the doors. We quietly walk into the cafeteria, and return to our seats. Jason and Piper are hunched over laughing as Leo smiles smugly. Frank is leaning on his arm, staring at Hazel as she giggles over something Calypso tells her. Thalia and Nico are in the middle of an argument over Green Day's best album.

"Are you crazy Neeks? _International Superhits!_ is the best!" Thalia cries.

"No, it's _Bullet in a Bible_!" Nico says.

"Can't you people just agree to disagree?" Leo asks as the bell rings to dismiss us to our next classes. Thalia and Nico begrudgingly agree, and we split for our next class.

(Time skip, since I'm lazy and don't want to write about uneventful classes)

Percy and I wave as our friends leave the school, and he heads off to the locker room, while I whip out my phone to place the order for pizzas for the I hang up, I head to the library, return a book, then wait by the front door for the pizza guy to show up. The pizza guy drops off the pizzas, and after I pay him, I stagger to the pool, and place them on the bleachers before plopping down next to them. I watch as Percy explains what to do.

"Okay guys, last thing! You need to do the front crawl down the entire length of the pool and then the butterfly all the way back in less than three minutes, and then I got us pizza," he says.

"Hang on, I was the one who paid for it and carried it in!" I shout.

"I know, but it was my idea!" He shouts back.

"Like hell it was! I'm the brains of this operation, and everyone knows it!" I shout back.

"Yeah sure babe! Keep dreaming!" He shouts.

"Matt Sloan!" I shout.

"When will you let that go? We were thirteen!" He screams.

"I'll let that go when you stop pissing people off! Remember yesterday?" I scream back.

"Yeah yeah, you had to kick his ass. You're always saving my neck. Now can you get down here? Everyone thinks I'm yelling at a ghost!" He calls. I walk down the steps of the bleachers, stopping on the last step. Everyone's staring at me, so I wave awkwardly at them, then I look at Percy and start laughing uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, you've been on the swim team since freshman year, and I still can't handle you in a speedo! You look so ridiculous," I say, laughing behind my hand.

"Ha ha. Guys, meet my girlfriend, Annabeth. These are the new recruits. She brought pizza," He deadpans.

"If Percy does anything idiotic, let me know," I whisper when Percy goes to grab the pizzas.

"If she said anything about guinea pigs or water parks, don't ask," Percy says, putting the pizzas down on the first step.

"Wait what?" One of the freshman says, wiping water off his forehead.

"Oh just wait till the end of season party. I have so many embarrassing things I can show you," I cackle, rubbing my hands together.

"Why do you live to embarrass me?" Percy groans.

"You make it so easy, you Kelp Head," I say, blowing a kiss before climbing up the bleachers and working on a building.

"Time!" Percy calls, hoisting the last person out of the pool as they struggle to push themselves out of the water. _Has it really been three minutes already?_ "Congrats! You all made it! Pizza time," Percy says, before helping himself to two slices of pizza and sitting by the pool. I stay with the new members, and catch up with the older ones that were here before I left.

"Little Nerd! How are you?" One of the seniors asks, wrapping an arm around me.

Hey Butch. Everything's going well. Take it easy on the new kids alright? No pranks like three years ago. Do you know how long it took me to get that fish scent out of Percy's bag?" I say, crossing my arms.

"Annabeth's the cool girlfriend, unless you cross her, Jackson, or the underclassmen," Butch says.

"How long have you been showing up to these things?" A small boy says.

"She's been here since Jackson showed up three years ago, but she was off in LA last season. They weren't even a thing back then, but she'd show up every meet, and she's like our little sister at this point," another senior says as Percy tries to sneak up on me and grab more pizza.

"Nope, don't even try it, Jackson." I deadpan.

"Aww man, but I'm hungry," he whines, pulling what Piper calls his 'Baby Seal' face.

"Nope. You should have known by now that the puppy dog face doesn't work on me," I say sternly.

"It was worth a shot," he says.

"Go get changed, you dork!" I smirk.

"She's one of the few people who can calm him down or get him to listen, and she's also _insanely_ smart. She showed up to one of his meets their freshman year, pulled out a calculus textbook, and started _working_ the problems. She's a good girl to hang with," the girls team captain says as I toss the empty boxes into a trash can.

"We all kind of knew she and Percy would end up together. They're essentially opposites, but they work well. She keeps him on track, and he forces her out of her comfort zone," Lacy, one of the girls in my grade says.

"Alright. I'd suggest you guys head home. It's Friday, and I have to make sure that Percy gets his homework done. Bye guys! Your first meet is January twentieth, right?" I say, when Percy comes back. He gets the phone numbers of all the new team members and sets up a group chat. I stay with the older members, talking quietly as the younger people head home.

"C'mon! We gotta hurry if you wanna pick up the twins!" Percy calls.

"That's my cue. See you in January!" I say, before turning and following Percy out of the school.

"Skate park time!" He says, grabbing my arm and dragging me along after him, as he kicks off the ground and starts riding. I stumble after him for the ten minute walk there, and then go over to a bench and watch as he skates around for a half hour, catching up with the other people. I see him beckon me over to him and this large group of people I vaguely remember from the last time i was here, roughly three years ago. I groan and trudge over there.

"Guys, you remember Annabeth, right?" Percy asks as I brush some snow off of my jeans.

"The blonde who'd always watch you whenever you showed up? Yeah I remember her," a boy who looks kind of like Dakota says.

"Hey, Dakota, right?" I ask, picking at my blue nail polish.

"Yeah, why?" he asks, pushing his curly black hair out of his slightly off kilter eyes.

"Just wanted to be sure I remembered everyone," I say, shrugging.

"Hey, don't worry, we're heading out soon, alright?" Percy whispers, leaning down slightly.

"I don't really care. At the end of the day, you're happy right now. I know you're probably going to be miserable after tomorrow, so I can deal with it. I need some time away from the twins anyway," I say.

"Oh shit! I forgot the twins! Gotta go," Percy says, grabbing my hand and sprinting off in the direction of the elementary school.

"We still have three minutes until they're dismissed. Calm down," I pant when we finally stop in front of the school.

"Sorry! I just really don't trust them alone!" he says, flipping his skateboard up into the air and grabbing it.

"Fair point. I mean they grew up around you, Leo, Thals, and Piper. I don't even want to know what things they're capable of," I say.

"Hey, I'm not as bad as Repair Boy, Pinecone Face, and Beauty Queen!" he protests.

"Not _as_ bad? Remember what a disaster CC's Spa was?" I say as children start to wander out of the building.

"I still can't eat lettuce without vomiting," Percy grumbles.

"No way. Is that Mr. De Milo?" I ask, pointing to a man in a rock band t shirt clutching a copy of _Lord of the Flies_ to his chest.

"Mr. De Milo!" Percy shouts, cupping his hands around his mouth. The man whirls to face us, and I wave sheepishly while shoving Percy with the other hand.

"Why, Annabeth Chase and Perseus Jackson. What a surprise! Where is the rest of your group, or is that not a thing anymore?" he says, brushing a chunk of greying hair out of his eyes as he stops in front of us.

"Well, Thalia, Jason, Piper, and Nico are off visiting Thalia and Jason's mom; and Frank, Leo, and Hazel are going to see a movie." Percy says, shoving his free hand into his pocket.

"How's life for you guys?" Mr De Milo asks. I see Matthew and Bobby looking around for us, so I raise two fingers towards my mouth. Percy covers his ears, and Mr. De Milo hesitantly follows suit. I let out a loud, shrill whistle, and the boys come over. Percy reaches over and fistbumps me before returning to his conversation.

"To answer your question, life is going pretty good for us right now. Annabeth's got her career, and I'm not getting into fights with authority anymore," Percy says, as my phone rings. It's Grover.

"Hey, Grover, what's up?" I ask, ruffling Bobby's hair.

"We're having all the bride and groomsmen meet each other while you guys are on break. The twenty eighth at three o'clock, if possible. We're planning on meeting in that restaurant by the bay. Can you two make it?" Grover asks.

"I know I can make it, but I have to ask Percy. Hang on," I say, before covering the phone. "Percy! Can you make it to that restaurant by the bay by three o'clock on the twenty eighth?"

"Yeah, why?" he says, waving goodbye as Mr. De Milo walks away.

"Grover and Juniper want all the bridesmaids and groomsmen to meet up to get to know each other. We also have to start planning bachelor and bachelorette parties, because we all know that I am _not_ going to be allowed in a bar, and you are _not_ getting into what's normal for bachelor's parties," I reply.

"Yeah, I know. Let's get these two back to your house, and then we have to film that video," he sighs. We walk back home in silence, as the twins talk about the new girl that's moving into their class after the break. I slowly push open the door, and boot up the xbox, before setting up a FIFA game for the boys, who plop onto the couch laughing. Percy follows me up to my room, and as I turn on the lights, he spins in my desk chair.

"You absolute toddler," I mutter, grabbing the camera.

"What do I need to do?" he asks.

"Can you get out of view of the camera? I typically do the intro alone, and then introduce the guest," I say, setting up the camera. He stands awkwardly behind it, and I roll my eyes before turning it on and starting my intro. "Hey guys, Annabeth Chase here, and this time we're not doing a vlog or any of my normal videos, since I have a very special guest!" I say. Percy plops down next to me and waves to the camera. "Say hello to my boyfriend Percy!"

"Hi," he says.

"Since we reached one million subscribers, I decided to listen to your tweets, and _finally_ do a video with this idiot. Question one: When/where did we meet?" I say.

"That was like what? Fifteen years ago? I don't remember where, but I know we were about one," Percy says.

"Alright, question two: When did you meet my parents? And I'm assuming this means as my boyfriend," I say.

"Well, it wasn't really formal per se, but I think the next time I saw your dad after we became official was the day after? You're officially meeting my dad tomorrow, and I've never officially been introduced to Athena. I don't really want to either," He says.

"Yeah, my mom kind of hates you," I laugh.

" _Kind of?_ She threatened to dismember me and feed me to wolves when she found out that we were still best friends!" He says incredulously.

"So yeah, let's pray she never finds out. Anyways, question three: Where/when was our first kiss?" I say, tugging on a piece of my hair.

"When we were officially together? Halloween, my place. Before that? A game of spin the bottle, freshman year," he says, tapping his fingers on my knee.

"I vote we never speak of the freshman year one. It was _bad_ ," I say.

"Agreed," he says, running his free hand through his already messy hair.

"Question four:Who said "I love you" first?" I say.

"I don't think we've ever officially said it, but I think we just kind of _know_ ," Percy says, rubbing the back of his neck, and picking at his stitches. I elbow him in the gut, and smile sweetly at the camera.

"I'm sure we'll probably do it at some point though. Question five: What do you wish I didn't do?" I ask.

"Honestly, I wish you didn't push yourself so hard. You've got your music career, this channel, taking care of your brothers, me, and you're already on track to be valedictorian next year. One day, it's all going to come crashing down on your head," He says sadly.

"Question six: how long have we been together?" I ask.

"We became official on Halloween, so two months on New Year's Eve. Wait, has it really only been a month and a half?" he says.

"Yep, it seems like we've been together forever! Question seven: do we have any odd traditions?" I ask.

"Back when we were just friends, we used to go on two week long bonding trips with our babysitter, but now that we're dating, we haven't come up with any yet," Percy  
"I vote we permanently discontinue those trips. They were fun and all, but things always went horribly wrong. Remember Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium?"

"Shut up, that one wasn't all that bad,"

" _Not all that bad_? I nearly got brained to death by a madwoman with a hammer who wanted to keep you as a prize!" I cry.

"Well, thank god Grover knocked her out with that shovel, but that one wasn't my fault!" he says.

"I nearly _died_ , you almost got yourself turned into a male prostitute by your dad's crazy ex who also happened to be the one who started the rivalry between our parents!" I say.

"How was I supposed to know that she was the crazy one?" he says.

"You probably should have noticed the dartboard with a picture of my mom's face taped to it or the shrine devoted to Poseidon! I felt nervous and wanted to leave, but _no_ , she promised you food, so you made us stay for a few hours. I was right!"

"We had been lost in the woods for three days! Forgive me for trying to make sure we had food!" he responds. I didn't notice while we were fighting, but we had leaned closer and closer to each other. My eyes flicker down to his lips, and I remember that we have to finish this video just before I am about to move in closer.

"You know what? Let's just finish the video," I sigh.

"How many questions left?" he asks impatiently.

"Three more. Question eight, this is easy. What's my eye color?" I ask.

"Grey," he yawns.

"Question nine: who's my best friend?" I ask.

"Any of your bandmates, or me," he says quickly.

"Last one, Question ten: what would you change about me if you could?" I say.

"Nothing. I'm pretty okay with who you are right now," he says.

"That's all for today folks! Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe! The videos with Percy in them are linked in the description," I say, before shutting off the camera. Percy gets up and quietly shuts the door before plopping back down next to me on my bed. I look over at him, and smirk as he slowly starts to blush.

"Now what?" he asks, staring intently at my lips.

"I don't know," I whisper.

"I think I have an idea," He mutters, his voice gaining a gruff quality. He presses his lips to mine again, and I wrap myself up in the feeling of his lips moving against mine. I feel electric shocks run through me from my head to my toes, and when he finally pulls back to breathe, I realize that I'm lying back on my bed now, with him on top of me.

"Oh, sorry, am I crushing you?" He asks, still breathing a little hard. I don't trust myself to speak, so I shake my head. He collapses beside me, and his breathing quiets as I roll over to face him. His head is turned towards me, and I can't help but smile when I see how messy his hair is. "You know I love you, right?" he whispers, smiling softly.

"I love you too, you idiot. I've been in love with you since the sixth grade," I whisper back.

"Really? I've had a crush on you since seventh! If I hadn't been such a damn wuss about it, we could've started dating _years_ ago!" he whispers as I intertwine my legs with his. He slowly dozes off, with a smile on his face, and I find myself drifting too. The smile on my face won't go away, no matter how hard I try. _He loves me, he loves me,_ I think as I close my eyes and fall asleep.

"Percy, Annabeth?" I hear Silena call. I don't know how much time has passed, but I open my eyes a crack to see that the sun is setting, and Percy's face is much closer than I remember it being. I close my eyes again, and I hear the door creak open.

"Aww, okay, that's adorable. I need pictures of this," she says, and I hear the shutter sound that indicates that she's taking pictures.

"Ugh, why? I was comfortable," Percy groans as I open my eyes.

"Hey, it's sunset. You should probably head home," I whisper, feeling my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

"You're right. I need to go. Dad, Tyson, and Triton will be waiting," He whispers, rolling out of bed and going for his shoes.

"I'll walk you out," I say as he walks past her. We walk down the stairs silently, and I hear Leo's bedroom door squeak as it shuts.

"Hey, I know tomorrow's going to be stressful, but we can handle it, right?" Percy says at the door.

"Be safe tonight Percy. I love you," I say quietly.

"Love you too, babe. See you tomorrow," he whispers, kissing my cheek before walking outside and skating towards his home. I hear two loud giggles from behind me, and see Matthew and Bobby on the couch, laughing their little asses off.

"If you need me, I'll be upstairs," I say, sighing dreamily. When I get back into my room, I see Silena sitting cross legged on a chair.

"Spill. What happened in here?" she asks, clutching a stuffed Hedwig to her chest. I plop down on the edge of my bed.

"Nothing," I say, still smiling.

"Is that why you're smiling? C'mon Annabeth, I'm not just your stylist. I'm one of your friends. You can tell me anything," she says, pulling a puppy dog face.

"Dammit! Fine, he just said I love you for the first time, Jesus Christ!" I say, trying not to sound excited. She jumps up, pulls me to my feet, and starts squealing. I hear the front door open, and I can hear the girls talking as they come towards the loud shrieking sounds.

"What's going on?" Thalia asks, flinging open the door.

"Sil's fangirling again. What happened?" Piper says, leaning casually on the door frame.

"He told her that he loves her for the first time!" Silena squeals, jumping up and down while clapping her hands.

"Seriously? Oh my god!" Piper shouts, running into the room and tackling me in a hug.

"Annabeth that's awesome!" Hazel says, stepping out from behind Thalia.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Thalia says.

"Spill," Hazel says, ushering Thalia into the room and locking the door.

"Fine," I say, before telling the entire story. We stay up late that night, giggling and trading stories.

(Percy's POV)

I unlock the door as the sun sets, and see Triton sprawled across the couch, watching a rerun of an old television show.

"Where's Dad, Tyson, and Amphitrite?" I ask, forcing myself to remove my smile before Triton sees it.

"Somewhere. How was school?" he asks, his tone dangerously level.

"Good, but why would you care? You don't care about my life unless it involves my girlfr- Okay wow, Triton. Why do I feel like you're only asking to see if you can get information about Annabeth from me?" I say, walking past him and into the kitchen.

"Hey Percy, why are you so late?" Paul asks. My phone goes off with a text from Annabeth.

 _Here r the pics Silena took of us while we were sleeping,_ she says. I scroll through all of them, and my smile grows.

"Sorry Paul. I fell asleep at Annabeth's," I say as Mom walks in. I can see her stomach starting to bulge a tiny bit.

"Young man, you did _what_?" Mom says.

"Relax mom. We didn't do anything. I honestly was so tired that I crashed. Look, one of the girls took pictures," I say, showing her my phone.

"Alright. Just I don't want my kid to have a niece or nephew just yet," Mom chuckles, patting her stomach. I choke, and my dad and Amphitrite walk in.

"Hi Amphitrite, Dad," I say once I can breathe normally.

"Hello Perseus, good god what happened to your face?" Amphitrite says in horror.

"Triton," I sigh.

"Why, if I might ask?" Dad says, crossing his arms.

"Annabeth. Did you know Triton had a thing for her?" I say, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Triton, get in here!" Dad bellows.

"What Dad?" he asks, popping his gum.

"Would you like to explain _why_ your brother's face looks like this?" Dad says, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, he's with a child of your biggest rival," Triton says, desperately trying to make it look like he did the right thing.

"Yes, but Annabeth's been in his life longer than I have. I may not like her mother, but Miss Annabeth has given me no reason to despise her. Besides, she seems to make Percy happy, and that's what matters," Dad replies.

" _You knew?_ I liked Annabeth long before he did! She should be mine! Not his, mine!" Triton shouts.

"Woah, woah, woah. At the end of the day, it's her choice. And she chose me. I don't know why, when she could have literally anyone else in the world, but I'm not complaining. If you really love her, you'd want her to be happy," I say.

"When will I get to meet Annabeth?" Amphitrite asks.

"Tomorrow. Mom insists on having her over for lunch, and she's helping out with Paul's holiday party," I say.

"She seems to keep busy," she says absentmindedly.

"You have no idea," I say, laughing. "Good night guys," I walk back to my room, where I see Tyson curled up on my bed. I quickly put on pajamas and crawl in next to him, going to sleep again. When I wake up in the morning, Tyson is still curled up under the covers. I crawl out of bed and check the time on my phone. I have about an hour until Annabeth comes. I quickly wake Tyson up, shower, get dressed, and clean my room, and I'm chasing Tyson around the house when the doorbell rings.

"Percy, get the door!" Mom says before retching again. I open the door, and see Annabeth, Matthew, and Bobby.

"Hey guys," I say. Bobby and Matthew run straight for the kitchen. Annabeth and I sit outside on the old porch swing.

"Ready for the day from hell?" I say with mock enthusiasm.

"I think we'll be just fine. I hope Triton doesn't freak again," she says, swinging her legs.

"No matter what, I'm still going to love you after this mess is over," I whisper.

"Aww, I love you too," she says, leaning onto my shoulder. I kiss her forehead and watch as cars go by.

"C'mon, we should probably go inside," I say, seeing Triton watching angrily from the window.

"Alright, I can do this. I'm just formally meeting your family as your girlfriend. No problem," she mutters as I get up.

"Babe, Mom and Paul already love you and Dad doesn't hate you, so the only one you're really meeting is Amphitrite. C'mon, the sooner we get this over, the more time we have to ourselves," I say, grabbing her hand and shoving open the door.

"So your dad doesn't want you to dump me? When did _that_ happen?" she asks, raising an eyebrow when she sees Triton playing video games on the couch.

"Oh, he says that he hates your mother, but you haven't given him a reason to hate you. He also said something about how if you make me happy, he's okay with burying the hatchet with your mother," I say.

"Speaking of mom, we're going to have to talk to her someday," she sighs.

"I know. Is she coming to visit for Christmas? We could tell her then," I say.

"Yeah let's do it. Maybe she'll be okay with it, and by okay, I mean she won't kill you," she says.

"Good. I'd rather not be killed by my girlfriend's mother," I laugh.

"Annabeth?" Mom calls.

"That's my cue. See you in about a half hour," Annabeth says, kissing me before walking into the kitchen. I plop down on my bed, and laugh for a little while, before tracking Tyson down and playing with him for awhile.

(Annabeth's POV)

I walk into the kitchen, quietly shutting the door behind me.

"Good morning," I say nervously, looking at my feet.

"Annabeth, you don't have to be nervous. You've known us for years," Sally says. I look up and see her, Paul, Poseidon, and Amphitrite looking over at me.

"Sorry," I say.

"So, Annabeth is it? How long have you been dating my stepson?" Amphitrite asks, brushing a chunk of dark hair behind her ear.

"Since Halloween, so about a month and a half," I say.

"And you are Athena's youngest child, and only daughter, correct?"' she asks.

"Yes. er, well, as far as I know," I say.

"This could be good for ending the rivalry," Poseidon says.

"With all due respect sir, I'm dating Percy because I want to. Not to end some rivalry that started before we were born. I don't mean to sound rude, sir, but Percy and I didn't get together to easily provide a bridge between your companies. We got together because we _really like each other,_ " I say.

"Oh, she's a feisty one, just like her mother!" Amphitrite says.

"Sorry, is there anything else you'd like to ask?" I say, internally panicking.

"What exactly are your intentions with my son?" Poseidon asks. _Oh crap how do I answer this without spilling too much information about our relationship? I don't think that they know about yesterday, and I'm NOT about to tell them if Percy hasn't._

"Well, we've only been dating for a month and a half, so I'm not really sure. We're still in high school, so right now, we're just trying to make it till graduation, and then we'll see where it takes us. How bout you ask me that in a few years?" I say.

"Alright. Does your mother know?" Sally asks.

"We plan on telling her over break. We don't know how she'll take it, but we hope that she'll let us be happy," I say.

"Athena's stubborn. Best of luck, Annabeth," Poseidon says.

"Thank you!" I say. I hear a loud crash.

"Annabeth, can you handle this?" Paul sighs.

"I'm on it," I say.

"I'm interested in how she's going to do this," Poseidon mutters.

"Boys! In the kitchen! Now!" I shout.

"Crap! She's angry! C'mon!" I hear Matthew say. All of the boys except Triton sheepishly come in.

"Triton! Get in here or I'll break your nose!" I screech.

"She's not joking! She knocked a dude out once!" Percy calls. Triton comes in.

" _What_ did you break, and who did it?" I say angrily. Everyone's silent, so I give them a death glare. Tyson, Bobby, and Matthew point hesitantly at Percy, who raises his hand awkwardly.

"You. come with me. We're cleaning up whatever you broke," I say, grabbing Percy and dragging him around the house until I see a broken picture frame. It's a picture of Percy, Grover, and I at the beach.

"So, how'd it go?" Percy asks, putting broken glass into a paper bag.

"Good. everyone really seems to like me," I say, tossing the last of the glass into the bag.

"Face it babe, you're loveable," he says, ruffling my hair.

"C'mon, let's go out to your backyard," I laugh, tossing the bag into the garbage can. We wander outside, and Percy waits until my back is turned to shove a handful of snow down my shirt.

"Oh my god, I hate you!" I squeal, shaking to get the snow off my back.

"No you don't. You love me, admit it," he says, with a smug grin on his face.

"I do, but sometimes I wonder why," I say, plopping down on the steps by the door.

"Because I'm amazing," he says, sitting down next to me.

"Your dad wants to use us to end the feud," I whisper.

"Would that really be so bad? We wouldn't have to fear your mom finding out about us," he says, gripping my numb hand.

"That means that we're being used as a business merger! I don't know about you, but I don't want what we have to be used to gain a leg up in the business world. I'm already being used to make money, but I don't want to subject you to that. I want this annoying feud to end too, but I want it to end on their terms, not because of us," I say.

"I know. You know what? Let's just tell Athena now," he says.

"Are you crazy? She'd kill us both!" I say.

"The sooner we get this over with, the better," he shrugs.

"Fine, but if anything goes wrong, I'm abandoning ship," I say, FaceTiming my mother, who should be on her lunch break right now.

"Hi mom," I say, being careful to not show any of Percy's body in the shot.

"Hello sweetheart. Why are you calling?" she asks.

"Umm… Well, how do I say this?" I say.

"What are you trying to say? Annabeth Minerva Chase, I swear, if you got yourself knocked up, I'm going to-" she yells.

"We haven't gone that far," Percy mutters. I snort and roll my eyes.

"No mom, I'm not pregnant, _but I may or may not be dating Percy?_ " I say, feeling my voice squeak at the end.

"What?" she shrieks.

"Umm, we're kind of dating? We were planning on telling you on Christmas, but I wanted to get it over with," Percy says.

"You? And him? Of all people, you had to go out with the son of my worst enemy?" she says.

"Yep. that's all. Bye," I say, ending the call.

"Success! We didn't die!" Percy says. I cheer, throwing my arms around his neck and leaning in until our foreheads touch.

"Thank god we got out of there before things got too bad," I whisper, feeling his breath on my lips.

"She hasn't outright demanded that we break up, so I think that deserves a celebration," he says. I hear a car pull into the driveway, and I pull away, groaning quietly.

"Somebody's here. We'd better get inside before anyone notices we're gone," I say.

"We're totally getting in some quality time before you leave though," he smirks.

"I swear, Jackson! You'd better watch it!" I say, pushing myself to my feet and reaching for the door knob. Percy grabs my arm.

"I wanna stay out here for a little while longer. We can't do anything coupley near Triton, remember?" he says, standing up.

"Or our younger brothers. I refuse to be part of scarring Tyson for life, and the twins are very high on my list of 'People I don't want catching us'. Remember how awkward it was that day they caught us on the couch?" I say.

"Yeah, but at least my dad or your mom never caught us! We'd never live it down," Percy shudders.

"C'mon you dork, We've been outside for long enough," I say, touching the doorknob again. He grabs my arm, spins me to face him, and kisses me. I release my hold on the doorknob and bring my arms around his neck. A couple minutes later, I hear a loud knock on the window. I pull back, and see Triton glaring at us. "Shit, Triton's watching," I mutter.

"I don't care," Percy mutters back, kissing me again. I faintly hear the door creak open, and I hear footsteps on concrete. A loud cough causes us to break apart, and I see Triton tapping his foot impatiently.

"Oh, hi Triton," Percy says.

"Now that you two are done eating each other's faces, can you please help us setup for the party?" Triton says, rolling his eyes and stomping back inside.

"I told you we should have gone back inside!" I hiss, slapping Percy's arm.

"If we had, it would have been miserable. We can't do anything but play with a five year old and two ten year olds," he says.

"You're right, but our friends will be here in two hours," I reply, throwing open the door and marching inside.

"Where do we start?" he asks.

"Kitchen," I say, dragging him into the room. He puts away dishes, and I sweep the floors. I walk into the family room, and notice their bare tree.

"What?" he asks from behind me.

"Your tree. Get me some ornaments, this thing looks sad," I grumble. Percy walks out to his shed and comes back in with a large cardboard box. I quickly set to work, and within half an hour, all visible parts of the tree are covered in festive decorations.

"Nice," Percy says holding a bowl of popcorn and shoving a handful into his mouth.

"We have an hour and a half left before our friends show up, and your dad took your brothers and Amphitrite to go do something. Wanna watch a movie?" I say as he collapses on the couch.

"Sure, what do you want to watch?" he asks.

"We haven't seen Anchorman in a while, so how about that?" I say, putting it into the DVD player.

"Scooch over," I say, flopping onto the couch. Percy pulls me into his chest, and presses play. I grab a handful of popcorn from the bowl, and munch on it as I try to ignore my little brothers shouting in the other room. Percy taps my shoulder about twenty minutes in, so I pass the bowl of popcorn up to him. Matthew and Bobby suddenly go silent, and I move to get up, but Percy flings an arm around my waist, so I stay on the couch. I find myself dozing off around the part where Baxter is kicked off of the bridge, and I shut my eyes and fall asleep to the steady sound of Percy's heartbeat.

(Percy's POV)

I feel Annabeth stop moving, and I kiss her temple before dozing off myself. The house is oddly quiet, almost too quiet. I finally fall asleep about twenty five minutes later.

"Aww, that's adorable. Sally will probably want pictures," I hear Piper say. I jolt awake, and Annabeth wakes up too.

"Huh, what? What?" I say, opening my eyes.

"Why?" Annabeth groans.

"Oh, hey guys, how long have you been there?" I ask.

"Long enough," Thalia says.

"C'mon Perce, we need to talk," Jason says. I leave Annabeth on the couch and follow him out of the room, and into my bedroom. Leo sits silently on my bed, with huge bags under his eyes.

"Damn, what happened to you?" I ask.

"Girls night," He deadpans.

"We thought you could help us figure out what happened to him," Frank says.

"Can you explain why you are so tired? Did they put makeup on you? Gossip? Nail painting?" Nico asks.

"No, they were up late last night screeching in Annabeth's room. _So loud_ ," Leo yawns.

"Do you know how it started?" I ask, knowing full well that it's because of me.

"Annabeth said something to their stylist, who started squealing, then when the girls got back, they started screaming. Something adorable happened, apparently," he explains.

" _What did you do?_ " Jason asks, narrowing his eyes at me. _I'm not telling him._

"Nothing!" I say, raising my hands in surrender.

"Then _how_ did this happen?" Nico says.

"I dunno! I left before this happened!" I exclaim. Leo yawns.

"Percy, any ideas? We've got forty kids coming in about forty five minutes, and Valdez is dead on his feet," Frank says, looking at his watch.

"I have an idea, but your caffeine crash might be brutal," I say.

"Oh no. we're giving him the equivalent of the Sirens' all nighter?" Nico says. I nod, a grim expression on my face.

"Leo, my man, I'm so sorry. This might be the only way to keep you alive for the kids," Jason says.

"Let's do it," Leo yawns. I start up the coffeemaker in the kitchen and brew some coffee as quick as possible.

"Chug! C'mon Valdez, you can do it!" Nico chants as Leo downs each cup.

"They had eight cups each," Jason says as I pour the rest of the first pot into Leo's mug.

"Get another pot going!" Frank says. I brew the next pot, and I make a silent prayer that this doesn't backfire. We work even quicker, and I slam the coffeepot into the sink as soon as I pour Leo's eighth cup.

"And?" Nico says expectantly as Leo finishes off the coffee.

"I think I can smell colors," Leo says, shaking in his seat. I move the cup into the dishwasher as he gets to his feet. When he turns to face me, I see a dangerous gleam in his eye.

"Do you think we made a mistake?" Frank says, staring after Leo in awe as he lunges for the bowl of popcorn still on the table..

"No idea. We did what we had to do. If all else fails, tie him to a chair and hope for the best," Jason whispers.

"There's rope in the shed," I say, walking over to the girls. Frank grabs Leo and drags him over to us, while Nico leans against the wall.

"We need to get organized for this. There are forty kids, and ten of us. Option one: we each watch four kids alone . Option two: we do it together. I vote we do it together, since it's easier to keep track of each other," Jason says.

"Alright. Jason and I are on leadership duty, which means we'll be keeping order. Piper, Percy, you're on party duty. Keep kids from messing up the adults' party. Callie, you're first aid and whatever else we need you to do. Be ready for anything. Thalia, Nico, you're on snack duty. Make sure that the kids have food, and if I find you two hooking up in the kitchen-" Annabeth says.

"You mean like I found you and Percy in the backyard?" Triton shouts as he passes by. Everyone turns to stare at us, and Annabeth facepalms.

"So err… Lovely weather we're having today, isn't it?" I say, desperately trying to change the subject from where

I know it's headed.

"Yeah sure, but I want to hear this story," Thalia cackles, jumping off the couch and running after Triton.

"Anyways, Frank, you and Hazel are on security, I guess. Keep an eye on everything and if someone gets out of line, punish them. Leo's on entertainment duty. Any questions?" Annabeth says as Thalia comes back, laughing and wiping tears from your eyes.

"You two are gross," she chuckles.

"Okay. Ten minutes until children," Frank says, checking his watch.

"We can handle this," I whisper in Annabeth's ear. She nods, and I lean back on the couch as she picks at her blue nail polish again. Matthew and Bobby come into the room, talking excitedly about a game with Tyson stumbling along just behind them, offering his own opinions occasionally.

"If anyone wants alone time, go now. We've got a long time with small children coming up," Annabeth sighs, wrapping a curl around her finger. Nobody moves. The doorbell rings, and we all grow silent. Thalia buries her face in her hands, and groans as loudly as possible. Annabeth tucks her head into the crook of my neck, and Hazel looks down at her horse socks. Paul goes and gets the door, and Piper braids a chunk of her hair in with a blue feather that she's clipped in.

"Oh, hello Cathy!" Paul says.

"Cathy, who's Cathy?" Leo says.

"James, why don't you go hang out with the other kids?" a voice I recognize as one of the French teachers, says.

"Okay, mom." A deeper voice says. _Oh thank god it's not a toddler._ A boy about our age, wearing our rival school's letterman jacket walks in and looks around nervously.

"Hey man. Grab a chair," Nico says.

"I'm Percy, that's Nico, Frank, Leo, Annabeth, Callie, Piper, Jason, Thalia, and that's Hazel," I say, pointing to each one of my friends.

"So why are you all here?" James asks.

"I live here, and everyone promised extra credit if we helped out," I reply.

"So you all go to Goode," he says.

"Yeah. So how old are you, James?" Piper asks.

"Eighteen," he says, poking at the omega symbol on the pocket of his jacket.

"Cool," Jason says.

"Wait, you have a letterman jacket. What sport do you play?" Hazel says.

"Football,"James says. Annabeth cringes.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Just a bad experience with the football team over there," she says.

"The drive by?" Thalia asks.

"Yep. this time there were three people in the car," Annabeth says.

"That sucks," Hazel shrugs.

"Wait, what? Is this another thing like the Sloan situation?" I ask. Annabeth hesitantly nods, and I grimace.

"Yeah, but I handled it," she says. I squeeze her hand, and Frank clears his throat.

"So, football? What position do you play?" Frank asks, leaning forward.

"Really Frank? You're talking football?" Hazel asks, sitting between his legs on the floor.

"Wait? Are you Goode's star quarterback, Frank Zhang?" James asks.

"Well, I wouldn't go _that_ far," Frank says, rubbing his neck.

"He is," Jason says.

"I don't even understand football, but I can tell you have _serious talent_ ," I say.

"Because you're too busy being half fish," Frank replies. The doorbell rings again.

"Please be someone with no kids," Calypso mutters from behind Leo.

"The other kids are in there," I hear mom say.

"Ugh, Everyone get ready," Annabeth groans. Four little girls run into the room.

"Hi, I'm Piper! What are your names?" Piper asks, plastering a fake smile on her face.

"I'm Liz, she's Emma, that's Jaz, and she's Alyssa. I'm eight, Emma is five, Jaz is four, and Alyssa's six," A girl with short red hair says, pointing to the other girls.

"What do you like to do?" Annabeth asks.

"We like princesses and hair," Alyssa says.

"They're all yours, girls," I mutter. Annabeth, Piper, Hazel, and Thalia pull the girls into their laps, and start chattering about princesses.

"Your hair is really pretty. It looks like a princess's. Are you a real princess?" Emma says from Annabeth's lap.

"No, but I wish I was," Annabeth hums softly. I snort, and roll my eyes.

"What's your favorite princess?" Thalia asks, bouncing a girl on her knee.

"I like Mulan!" Jaz giggles.

"Cool! Mulan's a good role model, you know. She shows that girls can do almost anything boys can do," Thalia says. Nico gives her an odd look, and Thalia sticks out her tongue. More children gradually stream in, and the girls all crowd around Annabeth, Callie, Piper, Thalia, and Hazel. I see a group of small girls excitedly braiding Piper's hair, and trying to figure out if Annabeth is a princess in disguise.

"No, she clearly is, look at her hair!" A loud blonde girl says.

"And I heard she can sing!" a little girl shouts.

"Well Thalia looks like Go Go from _Big Hero Six_ , but with blue eyes!" another girl says.

"Hazel reminds me of Tiana!" someone shouts.

"Are they screaming over what disney characters the girls look like?" I ask.

"This is weird," Nico says.

"Understatement of the century," Jason says, wiping his glasses with his sleeve. Leo's calmed down a bit, and he isn't shaking like a hyperactive chihuahua anymore.

"I can't unsee Thalia as Go Go now, " Nico shudders.

"You've seen that movie? Why? Because Fall Out Boy was in it?" Frank says.

"Girls are weird," James says as another boy comes over to us.

"You got that right," Leo says.

"Piper reminds me of Pocahontas!" somebody else says.

"Callie reminds me of Belle!" another person says.

A little girl stumbles out of the group, with her hair in really messy pigtails and tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"One of the girls ruined my hair, and I can't get to your friends to fix it," she sobs.

"I can fix it," Nico volunteers. James raises an eyebrow.

"He grew up with two sisters," Jason says.

"Technically, only one's alive at this point, but I did have two," Nico grumbles, untangling the girl's hair.

"So what do you guys wanna do?" I ask the group of boys who are crowded around us.

"Percy! Can you get me some water? I'm buried under a group of children," Annabeth says as a group of girls plays with her hair.

"Fine," I groan, attempting to wade through the crowds of little girls. The adults are all having glasses of wine, and mom comes up to me when I walk into the kitchen.

"Percy, how's watching the kids going?" she asks.

"Good. Honestly, the girls are doing great. I mean, there's a debate going on whether or not Annabeth's secretly a princess, and the little girls are figuring out what Disney characters the girls look like. The little boys are freaking out because apparently half of them still believe in cooties, so Nico and I were quarantined for an hour," I say, filling up a glass of water. I leave Mom in the kitchen, where she's eating an apple. The girls make a small pathway for me to get through, and I squat down by Annabeth. She takes the water gratefully.

"Thanks. I think I need a small break," she mutters, getting to her feet and moving out of the crowd.

"At least you've been having fun," I groan, following her.

"Yep. Did you know that you happen to be standing next to a 'princess'?" She laughs.

"Ha ha. I was quarantined for an hour because half of the boys believe in cooties. Remember how bad that was when we were young?" I ask.

"Don't remind me," she groans.

"I'm glad we outgrew that," I say.

"Same. hang on, some of the boys are staring at you like you've grown two heads," she says.

"Great, it's the ones who believe in cooties," I say.

"I'm going to go back to princessing. Have fun!" she laughs, going back to the group of little girls. I see Leo slump over, and I plop back down near the boys.

"You do know you have cooties now, right?" a small boy says.

"Yep, I don't care. You become immune at about eleven, anyways," I shrug.

"Why?" somebody says.

"I dunno, everyone stops fearing them around middle school," I explain.

"Girls! Wanna give my friend here a makeover?" Nico calls, smiling mischievously. The girls come over, and set to work. Annabeth grips my hand as a bunch of little girls excitedly braid Leo's hair.

"I'm putting this on Twitter," Annabeth cackles. Piper writes 'Hawt Stuff' on his forehead, and Callie starts drawing lipstick marks all over his face and neck.

"Owl Head, Fish Face, get in on this!" Thalia calls as she tucks a tiara into his hair. Hazel and Frank are coloring Leo's nails bright pink. Annabeth and I walk up and start writing 'Team Leo' all over his arms. Jason draws fire all around Piper's words. The boys draw stick figures, cars, and other random things all over his face.

"And, I think we're good," Piper says, stepping back to admire our handiwork.

"He looks hilarious," Jason says.

"Can everyone step back? I need pictures!" Annabeth says, whipping out her phone and snapping several pictures of Leo.

"Great work everyone!" I laugh, holding my sides.

"Parents are coming!" James hisses from the doorway.

"Jay, grab his legs, Zhang, take his arms, Nico can you open the closet door?" I say. Together, we heft Leo into the closet and shut the door.

"The party's over. Everyone find your parents," Paul says, as some teachers start coming into the room.

"Did you have fun?" One teacher asks his son

"Yeah! Your students are really fun!" He says.

"Did you know that one of them is a real princess?" A girl whispers to her mother.

"Really? Which one?" The woman says, acting interested.

"The blonde girl picking up crayons!" The girl says, pointing in Annabeth's direction.

"Annabeth? How about you tell me more in the car?" The woman says, leading her child out the door. The last people follow them out, and the house is quiet. We clean up quietly.

"We did it," Jason says about two hours later, dropping the last crayon into the bucket.

"How much extra credit do we get for this?" Thalia asks, grimacing as she plucks barrettes out of her hair.

"Thirty points per class," Piper says, flopping onto the couch.

"Oh thank god," Nico says, finishing off his box of apple juice.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Hazel says, flexing her hands. She had braided a lot of hair, and her fingers must be _beyond_ sore.

"Because the girls thought you were real live princesses," I grumble.

"It honestly was weird listening to little girls talk about how I'm a princess in disguise," Annabeth says, attempting to untangle a plastic tiara from her hair.

"At least you weren't quarantined for cooties like Percy and Nico," Frank says as Calypso removes a clip on earring from the back of her head.

"Seriously?" Calypso says, opening the closet door. Leo falls face first onto the carpet, and wakes up on impact.

"Why's my head hurting?" He groans.

"Oh, that reminds me! I never posted the pictures!" Annabeth says, pulling out her phone.

"Do you guys wanna crash here? It's pretty late, and I don't know if you should be driving," I say.

"You're right. It's nearly one in the morning. I'm staying," Calypso yawns.

"We're staying too," Piper says, rubbing at her eyes.

"I'll stay," Jason says.

"It's better than being home with Persephone and Dad," Nico yawns, arching his back like a cat's.

"I guess, if everyone else is," Frank says. I yawn and curl up in Paul's recliner, with Annabeth at my side. Piper leans against Jason on the couch, while Thalia and Nico take the other large chair. Leo curls back into the chair he was sitting in before we carried him into the closet, Calypso stretches out on a pile of pillows on the floor, and Frank and Hazel share the rest of the couch.

"Good night, guys," Annabeth yawns as Triton passes by and shuts off the lights. She scoots deeper into my arms, and I fall asleep to the steady sound of her breathing. _I could get used to this._

 **(A/N: thanks for telling me about the chapter acting up! when I previewed it, it was fine, but apparently it showed up weird! Anyways, in case you're wondering, I'm getting these character names from Rick's other books. the named kids at the party are all students at the House of Life from** ** _The Kane Chronicles,_** **and Magnus Chase and his gang are coming in in future chapters. that's all, I guess. GG over and out.)**


	11. Story of our Lives

Chapter 11

(Annabeth's POV)

I hear footsteps somewhere in the house, and Sally retching somewhere in the house. I open my eyes a bit and look through my eyelashes. It's bright outside, and I hear Leo muttering in his sleep. Frank snores softly, and I feel Percy stirring next to me.

"Good morning," he whispers.

"Hi," I reply.

"We're the first ones up, right?" he asks.

"Yeah. what time is it?" I say, quietly getting to my feet.

"It's 10:30," he says, checking his phone.

"C'mon, let's go make breakfast," I whisper, trudging into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Annabeth," Paul says, walking past us.

"So what are we doing?" Percy asks, rifling through the fridge.

"How about pancakes?" I ask, grabbing a blue mixing bowl off of the counter.

"Sure," he says. I start working as Percy lazily leans on the table, eating an apple.

"You know, you _could_ help," I say angrily, wiping a bit of flour off my forehead. He grabs the bowl from my hands and starts mixing the batter.

"See? I'm helping!" he says, flicking some batter at me.

"Oh, it's on," I growl, before blowing flour into his face.

"Really? Do you know how long it's going to take to get this out of my hair?" he complains, grabbing the faucet and aiming it at me.

" _You wouldn't,_ " I whisper.

"Try me," he growls.

"Guys, I'm hungr-" Thalia says, walking into the kitchen. Percy sprays water at me, and I try to dodge, but I can't get out of the way fast enough.

"You asshole!" I whisper yell, wringing water out of my shirt.

"I'm in trouble aren't I," Percy says, pouring some of the batter into a pan and cooking it.

"Yep," Thalia chuckles.

"I'm going to kill you after breakfast," I deadpan, mopping up the water on the floor.

"Sure," he says, flipping pancakes.

"No, but really. Fear me Jackson," I deadpan, pushing past him and grabbing a large platter. Thalia swipes the first pancake off of the platter as soon as Percy drops it there.

"Thals!" I scold.

"What? I'm hungry!" She says, shoving the whole thing into her mouth.

"That's it! Out of the kitchen," I say, shoving her out the door. Percy pours more batter into the now empty pan. I chew absentmindedly on a piece of a pear as Percy finishes cooking.

"After all the crap you pulled about me not cooking," he grumbles, dumping the last pancake onto the platter.

"Aww, I was just teasing," I whine.

"Should we call everyone in?" He says, washing the excess batter off of his hands.

"Guys, breakfast!" I call, walking out of the kitchen and poking my head into the room where we were sleeping. Leo groggily gets up and staggers behind everyone into the kitchen. We eat in silence, and Percy bumps my arm.

"Beth, where are your brothers?" he hisses. I look around and see two matching streaks of brown rushing past the doorway.

"They're on your couch. They can eat at home," I hiss back.

"Guys, we're going to need all of our free periods this week to finish up our plan for Friday. Callie, you need to teach us the choreography you came up with. Guys, your job is essentially done, so do whatever you want," Thalia says.

"But if we have to bail you out of jail," Hazel starts as Thalia cracks her knuckles and scowls.

"Jason, Frank, can you keep those three from killing themselves?" I say, pointing to Percy, Nico, and Leo.

"Got it," Frank says.

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Nico protests.

"Neeks, you may be more responsible than Percy and Leo, but we want to be sure that they won't drag you into one of their ridiculous schemes," Piper says as Argus pulls into the driveway.

"Oh, by the way Percy, I'm taking your swim team sweatshirt from freshman year. It doesn't fit you anymore," I say, grabbing the bundle of cloth.

"I will never understand why girls take our clothes," he grumbles.

"I'm ninety nine percent sure that it's a conspiracy. My soccer sweatshirt went missing. Thals, do you have any idea where it went?" Nico says, raising an eyebrow. At least, I think he is. His eyebrows are covered by his shaggy black hair.

"Nope, no idea!" Thalia says quickly.

"We've gotta go," Hazel says, grabbing Leo's arm and dragging him to the car.

"Bye guys," Piper says as I shut the door behind me.

"So now what?" Leo asks as Argus turns down another back road.

"We have a band meeting, so we'll be in our practice room. Boys, you can do whatever you want, except sneaking out. Go play videogames or something. Unless you want to be pelted with blood coated snow, no snowball fights," I say.

"Cool!" Matthew says.

"No, not cool! I am not allowing you three to play in the blood of Poseidon's sons!" I say, waving my arms around frantically.

"Aww man," Bobby whines as we pull into the driveway.

"I'll tell you what. Let me finish up the band stuff, and then I'll take you sledding," I say.

"C'mon, let's hurry this up," Hazel says, opening the door to the practice room.

"First off, let's start with Thalia's song. Thals, what do ya got for us?" Hazel says with a pencil sticking out between her teeth as she pulls her hair back.

"Well, I wrote a song about my general family life growing up, with my older half brother addicted to weed, my mom being an alcoholic, and my dad cheating constantly. It's called _Dollhouse_ ," she says, flipping to a page in her book.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel, _ **All**_ )

Hey girl, open the walls, play with your dolls  
 _We'll be a perfect family.  
_ **When you walk away, it's when we really play**  
You don't hear me when I say,  
Mom, please wake up.  
 **Dad's with a slut, and your son is smoking cannabis  
** _No one ever listens, this wallpaper glistens_  
Don't let them see what goes down in the kitchen.  
 _  
Places, places, get in your places_  
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces.  
 **Everyone thinks that we're perfect  
** Please don't let them look through the curtains.  
 _  
Picture, picture, smile for the picture  
_ **Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?**  
Everyone thinks that we're perfect  
Please don't let them look through the curtains.  
 **  
D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E**  
I see things that nobody else sees.  
(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E  
 _I see things that nobody else sees)_

Hey girl, look at my mom, she's got it going on  
Ha, you're blinded by her jewelry.  
 **When you turn your back she pulls out a flask  
** _And forgets his infidelity._  
Uh-oh, she's coming to the attic, plastic  
 **Go back to being plastic.**

 _No one ever listens, this wallpaper glistens  
_ One day they'll see what goes down in the kitchen.

 _Places, places, get in your places  
_ Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces.  
Everyone thinks that we're perfect  
 **Please don't let them look through the curtains.**

 _Picture, picture, smile for the picture  
_ **Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?  
** Everyone thinks that we're perfect  
Please don't let them look through the curtains.

 **D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E  
** I see things that nobody else sees.  
 **(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E  
** I see things that nobody else sees)

Hey girl (hey girl, hey girl, hey girl, hey girl)  
 _Hey girl, open your walls, play with your dolls  
_ We'll be a perfect family.

 _ **Places, places, get in your places  
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces.  
Everyone thinks that we're perfect  
Please don't let them look through the curtains.**_

 _Picture, picture, smile for the picture  
_ **Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?  
** Everyone thinks that we're perfect  
Please don't let them look through the curtains.

 _ **D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E  
**_ **I see things that nobody else sees.  
** _ **(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E  
**_ **I see things that nobody else sees)**

"Alright, I don't think that needs many major tweaks, and there's no need for guitar, so Pipes, your hands are safe for one song," Hazel says.

"Yeah, that's really good Pinecone Face!" I say.

"So, I guess we'll do mine next?" Piper says.

"Sure! What's it about?" Hazel asks.

"Oh, it's about how my father would always ignore me for long periods of time when we were kids. It's called _Freak The Freak Out_ , because I wanted little kids to be able to sing along with it," Piper replies.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel, _ **All**_ )

 _Are you listening?  
Hear me talk, hear me sing._  
Open up the door,  
Is it less, is it more?  
 **When you tell me to beware,  
Are you here? Are you there?  
**Is it something I should know?  
Easy come, easy go.  
 _Nodding your head,  
_ **Don't hear a word I said**  
I can't communicate, when you wait, don't relate  
I try to talk to you  
But you never even knew,  
 **So what's it gonna be?  
** _Tell me can you hear me?_

 _I'm so sick of it,  
_ Your attention deficit _  
_ _ **Never listen, never listen.**_  
I'm so sick of it, _  
_ **So I'll throw another fit.  
** _ **Never listen, never listen.**_

 **I scream your name,  
** It always stays the same.  
I scream and shout,  
 _So what I'm gonna do now  
Is freak the freak out, hey!  
_ _ **Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh,  
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh oh.  
**_  
Patience running thin,  
Running thin, come again  
Tell me what I get  
Opposite, opposite  
 **Show me what is real  
If it breaks does it heal?  
** _Open up your ear  
Why you think that I'm here?  
_ **Keep me in the dark  
** _Are you even thinking of me?  
_ Is someone else above me  
Gotta know, gotta know  
 **What am I gonna do?**  
 _'Cause I can't get through to you  
_ So what's it gonna be?  
Tell me can you hear me?

 _ **(Can you hear me?)**_

I'm so sick of it,  
Your attention deficit  
 _ **Never listen, never listen.  
**_ **I'm so sick of it,**  
 _So I'll throw another fit._  
 _ **Never listen, never listen.**_  
 _  
I scream your name,_  
It always stays the same. _  
_ **I scream and shout,**  
So what I'm gonna do now  
 _Is freak the freak out, hey!  
_ _ **Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh,  
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh oh  
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh,  
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh oh**_

 _Easy come, easy go  
_ Easy come, easy go

 **(Can you hear me?)  
**  
 **I scream your name,  
** It always stays the same.  
 _I scream and shout,_  
So what I'm gonna do now  
 _Is freak the freak out, hey!  
_ _ **Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh,  
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh oh  
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh,  
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh oh**_

(Freak the freak out!)

 **I scream your name**  
But you never listen  
No you never listen  
 _But you never listen_

"So, how's that?" Piper asks nervously.

"Great job Pipesqueak," I say, ruffling her hair.

"Thanks guys. Who's next?" she says.

"I'll go," I say.

"What's your song about?" Hazel asks.

"It's about what I was like when we were kids. It's called _Eyes Wide Open_ ," I say.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel, _ **All**_ )

La di da da da na  
Yeah

Everybody loves to tell me I was born an old soul  
 **Better keep my eyes wide open  
** There's so much that I don't know  
 _Just another hotel room_  
 **Never felt so all alone  
** _I think about my granddad's eyes,_  
And they always send me home  
I can almost hear him now  
Gotta make him proud

I keep my eyes wide open  
 _ **Bless this ground, unbroken  
**_ I'm about to make my way  
 _ **Heaven help me keep my faith  
**_ And my eyes wide open

I can't see two steps ahead of me,  
When the fog comes rollin' in  
 _I never thought I'd miss the rain  
Lord knows how long it's been_  
 **This dream burns inside of me,  
** And I can't just let it go  
There's still so much that I don't know

I keep my eyes wide open  
 _ **Bless this ground, unbroken  
**_ _I'm about to make my way  
_ _ **Heaven help me keep my faith**_  
And my eyes wide open

All I have is just this moment  
 **I don't want to miss a second**  
'Cause it could all be gone in an instant  
 _Yeah, in an instant...  
_  
 _ **I keep my eyes wide open  
Bless this ground, unbroken  
I'm about to make my way  
Heaven help me keep my faith  
And my eyes wide open**_

 _ **I'm about to make my way  
Heaven help me keep my faith  
My eyes wide open**_

Keep my eyes...wide...open

"Was that okay? Do I need to change anything?" I ask.

"You're good," Piper chuckles.

"By the way, the label wants a love song on your next album," Silena says, poking her head into the room.

"Annie?" Hazel says.

"I'm on it," I say, twirling a strand of hair absentmindedly.

"Guys, two more, and then we can go shower up and do whatever we want. We can do this," Thalia says.

"Haze? You're up," Piper says.

"Well, mine's about my mom, and it's called _Dark Side_ ," Hazel says.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel, _ **All**_ )

There's a place that I know  
 _It's not pretty there and few have ever gone_  
 **If I show it to you now  
** Will it make you run away

Or will you stay  
 **Even if it hurts**  
Even if I try to push you out  
 _Will you return?  
_ And remind me who I really am  
Please remind me who I really am

 _ **Everybody's got a dark side  
**_ **Do you love me?  
** Can you love mine?  
 _ **Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
**_ _Will you love me?  
_ Even with my dark side?

 _Like a diamond_  
From black dust  
It's hard to know  
 _It can become  
_ **If you give up**  
 _So don't give up on me_  
Please remind me who I really am

 _ **Everybody's got a dark side  
**_ **Do you love me?**  
Can you love mine?  
 _ **Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it**_  
 _Will you love me?_  
Even with my dark side?

 _Don't run away  
Don't run away  
_ **Just tell me that you will stay  
Promise me you will stay  
**Don't run away  
Don't run away  
Just promise me you will stay  
Promise me you will stay

Will you love me? Ohh  
 _ **Everybody's got a dark side  
**_ **Do you love me?  
** Can you love mine?  
 _ **Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
**_ _Will you love me?_  
Even with my dark side?

"So, that's the last one we needed to actually hear. We just need to run through the last song, and then we can leave," I say.

"What are we calling it?" Hazel says.

"How about _Middle of Starting Over_?" Piper says, staring at the lyrics.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel, _ **All**_ )

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Cast out to sea  
Drifting with the tide  
 **And no way of finding me  
Now that I'm free  
** _Nothing but blue skies  
Paradise in front of me_

Awake from this dream  
I hold my breath and just believe

 _ **Tired of all the troubles  
They've been wasting my time  
I don't wanna fight  
Gonna leave it behind  
Taking on faith  
Now I'm ready to fly  
**_I'm in the middle of starting over  
 _ **Back to the beginning  
Gonna hit rewind  
Chance to do it over  
Get it right this time  
Life gives you pennies  
Turn them into dimes  
**_ _I'm in the middle of starting over_  
I'm in the middle of starting over  
 **Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh**

 _Alone in a room_

Tearing down the walls  
 **Painting over scars and bruises**  
Now this is home  
 _Fill it up with love  
_ And make the best of something new, yeah

 **As hard as it seems  
** I hold my breath and just believe  
 _ **  
Tired of all the troubles  
They've been wasting my time  
I don't wanna fight  
Gonna leave it behind  
Taking on faith  
Now I'm ready to fly  
**_I'm in the middle of starting over  
 _ **Back to the beginning  
Gonna hit rewind  
Chance to do it over  
Get it right this time  
Life gives you pennies  
Turn them into dimes  
**_ _I'm in the middle of starting over_

The colors and the stars  
 _Seem a little brighter  
_ Tomorrow isn't far away!  
 **Through the hardest part**  
 ** _I'm working towards a happy ending_**

 _ ** _Tired of all the troubles_  
They've been wasting my time  
I don't wanna fight  
Gonna leave it behind  
Taking on faith  
Now I'm ready to fly**_  
I'm in the middle of starting over  
 _ **Back to the beginning  
Gonna hit rewind  
Chance to do it over  
Get it right this time  
Life gives you pennies  
Turn them into dimes**_  
 _I'm in the middle of starting over_

 _ **Tired of all the troubles  
They've been wasting my time  
I don't wanna fight  
Gonna leave it behind  
Taking on faith  
Now I'm ready to fly  
**_I'm in the middle of starting over  
 _ **Back to the beginning  
Gonna hit rewind  
Chance to do it over  
Get it right this time  
Life gives you pennies  
Turn them into dimes  
**_ **I'm in the middle of starting over  
** _ **I'm in the middle of starting over  
Oh! Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh**_

"Alright, so we're done for today. I'm assuming you want to take showers and get dressed before you head out. We should be back in before dark, just in case." I say.

"We should tell each other where we're going, so we know where to look on the off chance something goes wrong," Hazel says, pulling on a strand of her hair and watching it curl and shrink as she releases it.

"I'm going to take the boys sledding, then drop them off at Dad and Susan's place," I say.

"I'm volunteering at the orphanage until 6 o'clock," Piper says.

"I'm visiting Mom before she goes into her new rehab center," Thalia says, drumming her fingers on her pants.

"And I'm going to visit Dad and Persephone," Hazel says.

"See you tonight?" Piper says as she shuts the door to her bathroom. I head back into my own bathroom, shower, and toss on Percy's old sweatshirt and a pair of ripped skinny jeans. I tug on my warm winter coat, tuck my hair under a hat, and shove my feet into some old boots.

"Boys, let's go!" I say, twisting my car keys around one finger on my gloved hands. The twins come in, struggling under the weight of their heavy winter clothing.

"Where are we going?" Bobby asks, slamming the car door.

"First stop, Susan and Dad's house!" I say, pulling out of the driveway.

"Then what?" Matthew asks.

"What spot has the best hills?" I ask.

"There's a huge hill behind the middle school," Bobby says, bouncing in his seat as the house comes into view.

"C'mon, let's get these sleds, and then we can get going," I chuckle, opening the car door. We're silent, except for the sound of our boots in the snow. I timidly ring the doorbell, and a few seconds later, Dad opens it.

"Annabeth? Not that I don't love to see you, but why are you here?" He says, pushing his reading glasses up his nose.

"I'm taking the boys sledding. Where are the sleds?" I say, politely waving to Susan as she passes by.

"They're in the garage. Come with me," He replies.

"So how have you and Susan been? You're still coming over for Christmas, right?" I ask as he leads me over to a cluttered corner of the garage.

"Good. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again," he says, digging through the pile of random objects.

"Oh! By the way, you need to do that whole threatening father act on Percy! I keep forgetting that you and Susan haven't talked to him since we started dating," I say, unearthing one sled from the mess.

"Eh, I don't really see why I need to. He's been an unofficial member of the family for twelve years. I might not like the fact that my only daughter is dating now, but I trust him," he grunts, stumbling backwards as he pulls the second sled free.

"Are you okay?" I ask, watching him limp slightly as he shoves the sleds into the trunk..

"Yes. Go have fun with your brothers," He says, slamming the trunk shut and making his way up the stairs after pressing a house key into my hand. We drive in silence to the middle school, and the boys grab the sleds out of the car and stagger towards the large hill.

"I'll be right here if you need me. Go, have fun!" I say, grinning as the boys lug their equipment up the hill. I watch as the boys slide down the hill, screaming and laughing as people dive out of their way. They do this over and over again, and I keep watching, even as my phone rings.

"Hello?" I say, accepting the call.

"Oh thank god. I'm freaking out, Annabeth. I think I found the perfect bridesmaids gowns, but I don't know if everyone can afford them! Help!" Juniper says, clearly freaking out.

"I know ways to work around it if they can't. Hey, if worse comes to worse, I'll just pay for them!" I chuckle.

"We're going to be meeting at the dress shop for fittings that Saturday before you and Percy go back to school after break. Grover also wants the two of you to give speeches, since you were the ones that got us together. Are you up to it?" She asks.

"Yeah of course! I'd love to give a speech! Can Percy and I do it together, since I don't trust him not to embarrass both of you?" I chirp.

"Sure! So how're you doing? What's new in the life of Annabeth Chase?" she asks.

"Actually, things have settled down for once. Goode's Winter Ball is on Friday, we're done with our music for our next album, and we're getting ready for Christmas. And of course, I'm helping out with this wedding. I'm still super excited for it," I say.

"By the way, thanks for getting Grover and I together nearly eight years ago. We really owe you and Percy," she giggles.

"No problem Juni! we were tired of watching Grover pine after you, so we got you two together! It was worth it," I say, waving the boys over.

"I still don't know exactly what you two did, but thanks anyway!" she replies.

"We'll tell you at the reception. Bye Juni, see you on the twenty eighth!" I say before hanging up.

"I'm cold," Matthew whines.

"We're going back to Dad's place. We have school tomorrow, and you two need dinner. Hey, you'll be with us all of break," I say, unlocking the car and shoving the sleds into the back. The boys climb into the backseat, and I drive to my old home. I unlock the door and slip inside, with the boys behind me.

"Mom? Dad? We're home!" Bobby calls.

"In the kitchen," Susan calls.

"Annie's here too!" Matthew says, taking off his coat. I follow suit.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Susan says.

"Of course! I just need to text my friends and tell them what I'm doing!" I say, slipping out of my boots and walking towards the kitchen. I quickly tell my friends that I'm staying for dinner with my family, and then I smile at Susan as she bends over a pot, stirring something.

"Oh hello sweetie, are you staying for dinner?" Dad says, walking into the room.

"Yes," I say, grinning.

"We're glad to have you," Susan says as the boys set the table. She pours some beef stew into a bowl and places it in front of each spot on the table.

"Thank you!" I say happily.

"So where'd you get the sweatshirt? I don't remember seeing it before," Susan asks.

"Oh, it's umm… Percy's?" I squeak.

"Oh, it looks old. When'd you get it?" she says.

"This morning?" I say nervously.

"Why were you over there this morning?" Dad asks.

"No reason," I say.

"She slept over," Matthew says, smirking. Dad chokes.

"I'm sorry, what?" he coughs.

"We didn't do anything! Our friends were there, and we were helping him with the teacher's holiday party, and we finished up at about one am, so we all decided to stay there. We're not that irresponsible!" I sputter.

"It's true! Mrs. Jackson-Blofis took pictures!" Bobby says.

"What is up with everyone and taking pictures of us sleeping?" I mutter.

"Wait, I wanna see these pictures," Susan says.

"I don't have the pictures from last night, but the band's stylist took pictures a couple days ago," I say, passing my phone to Susan, who coos as she scrolls through the pictures.

"That's adorable," she says, handing the phone back.

"It's gross," Matthew whines.

"Why do they always end up sleeping somewhere? And yelling, and doing weird things. Is that what dating is? Doing weird things with a person?" Bobby says.

"Yeah! Why are they always holding hands? And smiling at each other? Why do you two do that Annabeth?" Matthew asks. Susan laughs as I turn red.

"You'll understand when you get older," Dad chuckles.

"Honestly, kill me," I mutter, face palming. Susan laughs again.

"Answer us! Why are you two so weird?" Bobby asks.

"Oh, by the way, can the boys stay here on the twenty eighth? I have to meet with the bridesmaids," I say.

"What? You're getting married? But you're only sixteen!" Dad croaks.

"Oh, no! I'm a bridesmaid in Grover's wedding! Percy and I are supposed to meet the other members of the wedding party on the twenty eighth!" I exclaim.

"Oh good. I was worried for a moment," Dad says.

"Chill! Marriage isn't in the cards for me right now," I say.

"You should head home. You have school tomorrow," Susan says, placing her bowl in the sink as I pull on my shoes.

"Bye guys! I'll see you at Christmas!" I say, leaving the house and hopping into the car. The drive is silent, and I sprint into the house. Silena is trimming Hazel's split ends, and as I pass, I see Thalia redoing the streaks in her hair. Piper sits on the toilet, her fingers stained blue as she watches Thalia wash the excess dye out.

"Hey," Piper says as she shoves Thalia out of the way to wash her hands.

"How was dinner with the family?" Thalia asks.

"Embarrassing, as usual. The twins loudly asked why Percy and I do things like hold hands. I wanted to _die of shame,"_ I mutter. Piper winces sympathetically, scrubbing the color off of her hands.

"Can you imagine how awkward Percy will be when he finally meets your parents?" Thalia cackles.

"Oh my god! That boy's ridiculous! He's willing to get into fights for me, but he's terrified of my family! I'd understand Mom, because she's threatened to kill him before we started dating, but Dad and Susan are harmless!" I exclaim, throwing my hands into the air in frustration.

"Nico was the same way with Mom. He's cool with essentially everything else, but he straight up hyperventilates when I mention him meeting my parents," Thalia says.

"Our boyfriends are ridiculous," I sigh.

"Anyways. I finally decided what I want to get a tattoo of when we're old enough!" Thalia says excitedly.

"Really, what?" I ask.

"I was thinking, if we all agree, we could all get the band's logo tattooed somewhere on our bodies. You know, so we'll always remember?" she says.

"That's actually a really good idea! When I'm old, I'll want to remember each and every moment of our fame. I'm in," I say after a couple seconds.

"I'm thinking that I'll do it on my neck. How about you, Pipes?" Thalia says

"Ankle? But that might change," Piper says, rubbing a spot behind her ear.

"I'm probably going for the shoulder or just behind my ear," I say, moving out of the doorway.

"What?" Hazel asks.

"Thals had the idea to get the band's logo tattooed on our bodies as a remembrance thing. If we were going to do it, where would yours be?" Piper says.

"My wrist. That's actually a great idea, Thalia!" Hazel chirps.

"The press would be all over this," Silena says.

"Once Hazel turns eighteen, we'll do it. Know any good tattoo shops?" Piper says.

"You'd have to cover them up until you're all ready to go public with them. That means covering your necks at all times for Annabeth and Thalia, keeping your ankles covered for Piper, and keeping Hazel's wrist covered. I can make it work whenever you decide to do it, but it's going to take all of us to make it happen," Silena says.

"We'll talk about that in the morning," Thalia yawns. We all stagger into our respective bedrooms and sleep.

(Percy's POV)

 _I step into my house. It's quiet. Almost too quiet._

" _Mom? I'm home!" I say. I walk into a room, and I gasp in horror. My friends and family are tied up and bleeding. Jason is pinned to the wall by a chunk of glass as Leo slumps against the wall, a broken beer bottle embedded in his thigh. Annabeth is tied to a chair, gagged and dripping blood onto the carpet from a gash on her forehead. Nico's got a huge gash on his cheek. Thalia is leaning against the wall, clutching her left arm. Piper is desperately trying to get the glass out of Jason's sleeve, but one of her eyes is swollen shut. Hazel's lip is swollen and she wipes blood from her chin as she cries against a wall. Calypso is sitting on the ground crying silently as she holds her ankle. Frank is bleeding heavily from his is unconscious, covered in cuts and bruises. Paul slumps beside her, a trickle of blood in the corner of his mouth._

" _Mmmmpph!" Annabeth says, shaking in her chair until the gag falls out of her mouth._

" _Who did this to you?" I ask._

" _A fat drunk man. You need to go. He's using us to get you. Go," Hazel says, spitting out blood._

" _Gabe?" I whisper._

" _Go! We'll be fine!" Annabeth says._

" _No way, I'm not leaving you!" I cry, attempting to untie her hands._

" _He's coming. Get out while you still can," Thalia groans._

" _No, I'm not leaving you behind!" I say._

" _Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," a voice says. I whirl around to face him. Gabe looks worse than ever. His hair is even thinner, his stomach is larger, and he holds a huge cigar in his hand._

" _Let them go. It's me you want, not them. Please," I croak._

" _I don't think I will. You seem to care for these people, especially the little blonde girl. Everyone else can go except the punk and Blondie," he sneers._

" _No, let her go, she did nothing!" I say as my friends pull my parents out of the house. I see Thalia wave her phone and know that she's calling for help._

" _What do you want with me?" I ask nervously._

" _Revenge. You sent me to prison, so I'm taking everything from you," he says, cracking his knuckles._

" _Please don't," Annabeth says, trying to look innocent as she unties her legs. I'm not fooled, but Gabe appears to believe that she's harmless._

" _Beth, get out before he grabs you. I'll hold him off," I say, facing Gabe and scowling._

" _No! I can't lose you!" She cries, still pretending to be tied to the chair._

" _He'll kill us both! Tell Mom I'm sorry, but this is my fight," I say. I hear sirens in the distance, and I hope they'll get here before I die._

" _Good luck," she says, before sprinting past Gabe and out into the street._

" _Aww how heroic. The punk sacrificing himself to save someone," he cackles. The sirens grow closer. I have to keep him talking if I want to make it out of here._

" _Please, just make it quick," I whine, knowing he hated me whining when I was young._

" _Shut up, you brat," he says, clenching his fists. I know he's about to punch, so I step back. His fist flies forward and connects with my nose, and I jolt awake._

"Oh thank god, it was just a dream!" I sigh, sitting up in my bed. I already know that I won't be able to sleep again after that, so I tiptoe into the kitchen and get a glass of water. I keep having horrible dreams of Gabe targeting the people I care about, and I don't know when they'll stop. He hasn't been caught yet, but all police forces between here and the jail are on the lookout. Hopefully they'll find him soon. I don't know how long I can go on like this. I haven't told my friends yet, but I know I have to. I check the clock on the stove. _2:21_. I plaster a fake smile on my face, hoping nobody notices just how scared I am. I don't want anyone to worry about me. The girls have enough on their plate. I hear rustling in the bushes.

"You sure this is the place?" One voice whispers.

"Yeah, Gabe said it was," another says. _They work for Gabe?_ I pull out my phone and wait for more information.

"We're looking for a short boy with black hair and green eyes. He should be about sixteen or seventeen," the first voice whispers again. My hands are shaking as I dial 911.

"911 what's your emergency?" A female voice says.

"There are two men lurking in the bushes, talking about what a man named Gabe told them to do. I think that Gabe is Gabriel Ugliano, that escaped criminal," I say, hoping that the people outside can't hear me.

"What makes you think that these men are Gabriel Ugliano's accomplices?" The operator says.

"He threatened to target my family, since we were the ones that got him sent to jail. Please hurry, they're talking about grabbing a boy with black hair and green eyes," I say.

"Address?" She asks.

"126 Walnut Street," I say before hanging up.

He should be pretty easy to tie up. According to Gabe, the punk's real scrawny and weak. Easy job," a voice whispers.

"Get the lock," a voice says. There's a scraping noise as the people try to pick the locks. I try to calm down. _Think, Jackson think! What would Annabeth tell you to do in this situation?_ _Wake up the adults!_ I tiptoe into Mom and Paul's room, and shake both of them awake.

"It's the middle of the night, Percy. What do you want?" Paul groans as Mom sits up. I explain what's going on as quickly as possible, and Mom looks absolutely horrified as I hear the door finally open up.

"Check the whole house," a voice whispers. I sneak past the two shadowy figures and crawl into my bed, making myself look as small and weak as possible. The footsteps grow louder, and my door creaks open.

"I think this is the kid. He looks pretty small," a voice whispers. I pretend to wake up and I stare at the two figures.

"Who's there?" I ask, squinting as I fumble for the switch on my lamp. I finally flip it, and come face to face with two men, both with huge stomachs and greasy hair. "I suppose Smelly Gabe sent you. What do you want with me?" I say.

"Gabe promised us half of the ransom money if we kidnapped you," one man says. The other elbows him in the gut.

"Alright, just leave my family and friends alone," I say.

"This was easier than Gabe-" one guy says. He stops abruptly as I stand up. I smirk when I see that I tower over the both of them.

"There's one thing you forget. The last time Gabe saw me was when I was little. I'm not so weak and helpless anymore. Now, unless you want me to call the cops, _stay away from my family_ ," I smirk, hearing the front door open.

"Police!" I hear a woman call.

"Up here!" I shout back. The men try and run for the stairs, but they are caught. I thank the police officers, and the men are led into the back of the car, where another officer waits. I quickly tell the officers what I know, and they leave. I glance at the time, and decide to go back to sleep for as long as I can. For once, no nightmares come. _Maybe those two will lead us to Gabe._


	12. Everybody Talks

Chapter 12

(Percy's POV)

I wake up a few hours later, slamming my hand onto the alarm clock. I trudge over to the mirror and look in horror at my pale face. My eyes and hair look wild, and

I see a thin layer of skin forming over my stitches, and I'm assuming that Annabeth is going to remove them soon. I get dressed and sit down at the kitchen table. Mom sits across from me, staring blankly ahead and stirring her cereal.

"Where's Paul?" I ask.

"The school. He went in early," Mom says.

"I'm sorry for waking you up this morning," I say in between spoonfuls of cereal.

"You did the right thing. If they had gotten you, we would have known that you got kidnapped," she says. The doorbell rings, so I get up and get the door.

"Good morning," Annabeth yawns.

"Is that Annabeth?" Mom asks.

"Yeah," I call back.

"I'm early, but I need to remove your stitches. The girls already know I walked here, so they're picking us both up," she says, plucking a pair of nail scissors off the bathroom counter and dunking them in a pot of boiling water. She grabs a pair of tweezers, lifts the knot, and starts cutting away the thread. I sit silently until she's done, dreading the fact that I'll have to tell her what happened earlier.

"You look horrible! What happened last night?" She asks.

"You know how Gabe somehow escaped from prison?" I say.

"He didn't come after you, right?" Annabeth says, smoothing down my hair.

"He didn't come after me himself, but he sent two goons to kidnap me while I was sleeping," I say. Annabeth's calm face twists into an expression of fear.

"I'm glad you're okay, Seaweed Brain," she says quietly, wrapping her arms around me and burying her face in my shirt.

"Aww, you'd miss me," I say, smirking as she pulls away from me and rolls her eyes.

"Jackson, I swear," she grumbles.

"C'mon, let's go do something," I say, grabbing her hand and dragging her to the couch.

"Where's Triton?" She asks.

"I think he snuck into a party last night, and he isn't home yet," I say. The front door opens and he staggers inside. His hair is disheveled, his shirt is inside out and backwards, and his jeans are hanging off of his hips, unbuttoned and unzipped.

"And there he is," Annabeth chuckles.

"Well, somebody had some fun last night," I snort. Annabeth slaps my arm before going for a glass of water and some painkillers.

"So, what happened to you?" She says as Triton swallows the pills.

"I went to a party last night, and woke up this morning next to a pretty redhead with freckles. Everything else is a blur," he groans.

"Did the girl have green eyes?" I ask.

"She looked like that Rachel girl you were dating last year," he says. Annabeth stares at the stitches on his knuckles and starts removing those.

"Yep, you hooked up with Percy's ex," Annabeth says quietly.

"It's fine, I dumped her anyways. She cheated on me with twelve other people," I chuckle, running a hand through my hair. Annabeth's face falls as she removes the last bit of thread from Triton's hand.

"Oh no," she whispers.

"What?" I ask nervously.

"Remember what Rachel does every time she hooks up with a new guy?" Annabeth says in horror.

"Oh. _Oh._ Oh God I think I'm gonna be sick," I gag.

"What does she do?" Triton asks.

"She -err- brags about how good or bad they are in bed for at least a week," Annabeth shudders.

"Triton, I think I speak for both of us when I say that I _do not need to know how you are in the sack_ ," I say, patting his shoulder as a limo pulls into the driveway.

"And that's our cue. Ask Sally for more painkillers if you need them," Annabeth says, slipping her messenger bag over her shoulder and walking towards the door. I follow. As soon as I shut the door, Annabeth turns to me and starts laughing uncontrollably. We're both clutching our stomachs and wheezing by the time we're driving away from my house.

"What's got you two in such a good mood?" Thalia asks as soon as we sober up. Annabeth and I glance at each other and start laughing again.

"Triton hooked up with Dare," Annabeth wheezes, clutching her stomach.

"I'm not even mad! It's the funniest thing to happen in my family since Tyson trying to learn how to bake!" I cackle.

"Wait, did they use protection?" Annabeth says, sitting straight up.

"I dunno, why does it matter?" I snicker.

"What if Dare gets herself knocked up by your brother?" She says.

"Oh my god. I'm not dealing with a possible niece or nephew that's also my ex's kid," I say.

"I got it. I'll have Reyna tell us if RED's pregnant," Annabeth says, furiously typing something on her phone as Frank clambers into the car.

"I swear if Triton knocked Rachel up, I'm going to actually die," I groan.

"What?" Frank shouts. Nico climbs into the car.

"Percy's brother hooked up with Dare last night," Annabeth says as the school comes into view. We walk inside and head towards the cafeteria with the rest of the school. A huge crowd of people are crowded around Rachel. I push through the crowds, trying to avoid being noticed by Rachel.

"Oh Percy, guess what I did last night!" She says walking towards me. The crowd parts for her, and Annabeth squeezes my hand. Rachel is wearing thick sunglasses and chewing several pieces of gum.

"What do you want RED? I really don't want to deal with you right now," I say.

"I hooked up with a new guy who is hotter than you'll ever be!" Rachel giggles. Her breath smells horrible. I glance back at my friends and see them struggling to hold back their laughter. Annabeth bites her bottom lip in an effort to hide her giggles.

"You know, I don't really care what you do Rach. Did you at least use protection? I don't exactly want to be an uncle right now," I smirk. Rachel's mouth falls open in shock.

"What makes you think that you'd be an uncle if that guy got me pregnant?" Rachel sneers, with her hands on her hips.

"Oh silly me! I forgot to tell you! That dude you slept with? That was my half brother," I say, before turning and walking away.

"WHAT?" Rachel shrieks.

"And I take offense to the statement that my brother is hotter than me, but I don't care what you think!" I shout over my shoulder. Leo and Callie finally crack, and start laughing hysterically.

"Percy Jackson's awesome! His ex just hooked up with his brother and he doesn't even care!" I hear a sophomore say.

"I got it on video!" Thalia says, holding her phone up.

"Nice job, Seaweed Brain,"Annabeth says.

"Hey, it was fun to wipe that smirk off of her face," I say as we slip into the music classroom. The words 'I'm in a meeting all of first period, so you all have a free period! Don't leave the school!' are neatly written on the board.

"We do next to nothing in this class!" Hazel says.

"Alright, I'll start teaching the choreography. We'll be in the empty room if you need us," Callie says. The girls pick up their bags and leave the room.

"What are we going to do now?" Jason asks, leaning against the wall.

"Leo and I aren't allowed to pick, so what do you guys wanna do?" I sigh, texting my mom.

"Dude are you seriously texting your girlfriend right now?" Leo asks, attempting to snatch my phone.

"Dude, I'm texting my mother!" I say, standing up and holding the phone above my head.

"I swear, you're the biggest momma's boy of us all," Nico says.

"To be fair, Sally is pretty awesome," Frank says.

"And it was just me and her until my dad decided he wanted to get to know me when I was twelve, and then Paul came along when I was thirteen. So yeah, I'm close with the one constant parental figure in my life," I say, rolling my eyes.

"We've got incoming," Leo says. I see four shadows in front of us.

"Dammit," I mutter. Jason sits up straight, and glares at the four girls. Reyna is texting somebody, probably Annabeth, and Drew is glaring at Nico, who's staring out the window. Rachel is staring at me, and Khione is glaring at Jason.

"What on earth is so important that you just _had_ to come over here?" Leo says, crossing his arms.

"Shut up Valdez, nobody likes you. That's why your parents are dead. They purposely stayed in that burning house so they wouldn't have to see your ugly face," Drew says. Leo starts to shake, and furiously wipes at his eyes.

"I'm gonna go hang out with the girls," he says, his eyes watery and his voice cracking. He sprints out of the room, and we stare after him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jason shouts.

"Why on earth would you say that to him?" Frank roars. Jason and Nico each grab one of his arms in an effort to hold them back.

"Zhang, we can't hit girls," Nico says.

"I don't care, I'll rip her cheap ass extensions out!" Frank shouts, struggling against his restraints. By this time, the entire class is staring at us.

"Why would you think that that was a good idea? Did all that nasty perfume you bathe yourself in mess with your brain cells?" I shout.

""Yeah Drew. That was low, even for you," Reyna says quietly.

"Oh, shut up Reyna! She was right! Nobody likes that idiot, not even his parents!" Khione says. Nico goes silent. A creepy grin crosses his face. He digs his phone out of his pocket and dials a number.

"Come now," he says before hanging up.

"Now back to these bitches," Jason growls.

"Seriously, why can't you accept the fact that not everyone likes you?" Nico cries. I hear thundering footsteps, and the girls run in, dragging a sniffling Leo behind them.

"Who's ass am I kicking?" Calypso growls, tying her hair back.

"Did you call them in?" Nico asks.

"Yep. Code Blue. they'll be here in about three minutes," Hazel says.

"But it takes ten minutes to get here from your house," Frank says.

"Oh, I know," Piper says.

"But-" Rachel starts, before getting interrupted by squealing tires. Beckendorf and Silena park in the parking lot by our classroom. Thalia pries the window open and waves them over.

"Who do I need to yell at?" Beck says.

"Those three girls over there," I call, pointing to Rachel, Drew, and Khione.

"Thanks Percy," Silena says, leaning halfway into the window.

"No prob 'Lena!" I say.

"Oh, this should be good," Annabeth mutters. People are looking back and forth between us as if we're playing a game of tennis, instead of having a conversation.

"Aren't these the three girls who straight up tried to break into the house?" Beckendorf asks.

"Yep," Thalia says.

"Woah, you broke into their house? Not cool," Ethan says, fiddling with his eyepatch.

"I had to set up a newer security system because of these idiots!" Beckendorf says.

"Don't forget what they just said to Leo," Nico says.

"Charlie, I'll handle this one. Leo's like family to me too," Silena says.

"Who _are you people_?" One of the popular people asks.

"Oh, I'm Silena, the Sirens' official stylist and Leo's unofficial guardian," Silena says.

"I'm Beckendorf, Leo's older brother and legal guardian. I'm also the Sirens' tech guy," Beckendorf says.

"Leo Valdez is like family to the band and all of the workers. You mess with him, you mess with all of us. And trust me, you _do not_ want to mess with us, because then you get the fanbases involved, and we take bullying very seriously. _Do I make myself clear_?" Silena says.

"Crystal," Rachel says.

"Good. Fix your makeup. Newsflash, nobody's face naturally that orange compared to their skin," Silena says, before turning and strutting towards her car.

"Leo, wanna go home?" Beckendorf asks.

"Yeah," Leo says.

"Get your stuff, Sil and I will sign you out. We're doing whatever you want to today," Beckendorf says, before turning and walking to the car.

"See you tonight," I say.

"Yeah. Movie marathon tonight after we finish our homework?" Piper says.

"You're on," Leo says, smiling sadly.

"You can fix up the toys I got the twins for Christmas. They're under my bed," Annabeth says.

"Thanks guys. See you back at the house," Leo says, grabbing his bag and walking out of the room.

"I hope he'll be okay," Calypso says, chewing nervously on her lip.

"He'll be okay," Hazel says.

"How do you know?" Calypso asks.

"We've all kind of developed a thick skin after the shit we've seen," Thalia says, glancing at the door.

"I guess we have all seen some pretty terrible things," Annabeth says.

"I'd love to talk about this more, but I'd rather do it when we're alone. I'd rather not have the entire student body knowing our deepest darkest secrets," Nico says.

"The empty room?" Calypso says.

"Fine, let's go," Jason says. We walk in silence and Annabeth pushes the door open.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Frank says.

"So, Jason and I have an alcoholic mom and a manwhore of a father," Thalia says.

"My parents split up my older brother and I as part of their divorce. I didn't see him again for another five years," Annabeth says.

"My mom has severe PTSD and I watched my grandmother's house burn down. I haven't seen my grandma since, and we don't know if she's alive," Frank says.

"I watched the roof collapse on top of my mother and I'm a survivor of neglect," Hazel says.

"I've dealt with two poor father figures and I'm a survivor of domestic violence. I also almost got kidnapped, nearly got sold into prostitution when I was twelve, nearly got Annabeth murdered that same day, and I almost got gambled away once," I say.

"I told you something was off about that woman, but _no_ , you insisted that she was just a lonely old woman!" Annabeth says.

"How was I supposed to know that she was a psycho? I didn't know that she had a shrine devoted to my dad until Grover had already knocked her out!" I say, rolling my eyes.

"We almost got killed!" Annabeth says.

"But we _didn't_ ," I say.

"Need I remind you that I've literally broken ribs trying to save your dumb ass?" Annabeth says.

"That was one time!" I protest.

"They'll be at this all day," Thalia grumbles.

"Anyways, I've almost been kidnapped several times by people looking for ransom money from my dad," Piper says.

"My mom and sister died in a car crash, and I was the only one who was available to identify their bodies," Nico says.

"My mom left us as soon as she was released from the hospital when I was born," Calypso says.

"We're like a little support system. If you need anything, come to any of us," Annabeth says.

"Yeah. We're a family, after all. We look out for each other," Hazel says.

"I thought family was who you're related to by blood," Calypso says.

"Family is more that just blood. Blood may make you related, but loyalty is what makes you a family," Annabeth says.

"Yeah. Not all of us are related by blood, but we're a family, and that's what matters," I say.

"And let's be real. Percy's the most annoyingly loyal one out of all of us," Piper says.

"Yeah, and according to Leo, I'm the responsible one, who happens to be dating the terrible influence," Annabeth chuckles.

"I'm not that bad!" I protest.

"Waterland. CC's Spa. the island. . Look, the point is, you can't be trusted to make plans," Annabeth says.

"Yeah, but I tended to follow the rules when we were younger. You can't argue with that," I say.

"Yeah, you followed the rules when you weren't nearly getting us all killed," Annabeth says.

"Okay! Can you two stop arguing?" Jason says.

"Sorry Jay," I say.

"I'm not. You should know that we argue all the time. Have you learned nothing in the however many years you've known us?" Annabeth says, crossing her arms.

"I hoped that you two would grow out of it," Jason sighs.

"Our parents have been fighting for nearly twenty five years. We can hold a serious grudge," I say.

"Don't forget the merger," Annabeth groans.

"Ah yes, however could I forget that my father is trying to use us as a business opportunity?" I say. The bell rings.

"See you at lunch," Calypso says, slipping her bag over her shoulders and dashing off.

"Alright. We've got three minutes to get across the school to history, or else _we're_ history! _Run_!" Thalia says, glancing at Piper's watch before sprinting out of the room. Annabeth sighs and jogs out after her. I walk calmly down to math and settle in as Frank collapses into his seat. Nico skids in just as the bell rings, and stumbles a little as he abruptly stops running.

"You made it, man," I say, reaching back to high five him as he sits down.

"Good morning, class. Put your books down, we're having a pop quiz," The teacher says.

"Oh _shit_ ," I mutter.

"You guys'll write my eulogy, right?" Nico groans.

"You guys need to write _my_ eulogy. I'm literally dating a genius. I'll fail, and she's gonna drag me into the library. You'll never see me again," I say.

"We can do this guys. What did Annabeth always say?" Frank says.

"Umm… keep a level head?" Nico whispers.

"No! Well, yes, that would technically apply here, but she always told us when we were studying for finals 'if you focus on what could go wrong, you'll never get anything right'!" Frank says. The teacher drops quizzes onto our desks. _I can do this. Focus Percy! Oh, hey, I know how to solve this problem! Focus on what I know, instead of what I don't. I'm going to pass this test,_ I think.

"Time's up! Pass 'em forward!" The teacher calls. I silently pass my test forward and sigh as I glance over at Frank and Nico. Nico's got his head in his hands, Frank's slamming his head onto his desk repeatedly, and the rest of the class is no better. The only people who look calm are me, one of the mathletes, and Khione, who sits right behind the smartest kid in class. _I suspect that she's cheated,_ I think.

"Alright class, now today we will be returning to the pythagorean theorem. You may know what the formula is, but do you know what it means?" the teacher says.

"A squared plus b squared equals c squared," Khione says, popping her gum.

"That is the formula, Ms Thompson. Does anyone know what it actually means?" the teacher says.

"I think it has something to do with congruent shapes on the outside edges of a triangle?" I say.

"You would be correct, Mr. Jackson," the teacher says, turning to draw a diagram on the board.

"Who are you and what did you do with Perseus Jackson?" Nico hisses.

"How'd you know that?" Frank asks.

"Annabeth. She'd constantly mention it when she'd come over in like freshman year or something," I whisper out of the corner of my mouth.

"And you remembered? How? You can barely remember to brush your hair in the morning!" Nico hisses.

"I don't know! I just remember random things that smartass has mentioned!" I hiss.

"You lovestruck weirdo," Nico mutters. I feel my face heat up, but I do nothing.

"Okay class! Your homework is page 207, numbers 5-30!" the teacher says a few minutes later. The bell rings, and we rush out of class.

"Speaking of lovestruck weirdos, Zhang, when are you gonna ask your girl out?" I ask, punching his arm.

"I don't know! Every time I try, I start to panic, and I can't get the words out!" He hisses.

"You can do it, Beastie! There's nobody I'd trust with her more than you," Nico says, waving as Thalia, Piper, Annabeth, Hazel, and Callie pass by.

"And, as much as I love you two, I cannot handle this anymore. You'd be great together," I say. Nico gives me a funny look. "I've spent too much time with girls." I shrug, with a small smile on my face.

"But what if she says no?" Frank asks as Jason comes up to us.

"Are you _serious_? Are you actually serious right now?" Nico says, punching Frank's arm between every word.

"Honestly, what is my life right now?" I ask, looking up at the ceiling with my hands in the air. _It's so obvious that they like each other!_

"You're kidding me right? It's _Hazel_. She's got a successful music career, and probably has her pick of any successful Hollywood teen actors!" Frank says.

"I'm going to lose my mind," Nico mutters.

"I swear you two are worse than Percy and Annabeth, and they were tap dancing around each other for three full years! Four, if you count last year!" Jason says.

"They freaking kissed twice before they were even together, and I'm still angry at how oblivious they were!" Nico says. I rub my neck awkwardly.

"Oh, no. it was more than two times, wasn't it?" Jason says.

"How many, Jackson? How many times before you manned up?" Nico says.

"Err… I think it was like four or five times?" I say, looking at the ground.

"Mi dispiace, cosa?" Nico says.

"Neeks, you slipped into Italian again," Jason whispers.

"My bad. But, _four or five times? Dear God, man!_ Why the hell did it take you so long?" Nico says.

"Look, I did it. At least I'm not Sparky over there. Does anyone know what the hell is going on with him and Pipes?" I say.

"Yeah, what on earth is going on with you two? Are you a thing or not?" Frank says. Jason gives us a withering look.

"I don't know! See you next period," Jason says, dragging Frank into their next class.

"What is up with the four of us and taking _forever_ to ask people out? Although, at this point I'm not above locking Frank in a room with her until they actually get together," I grumble.

"I get what you mean, but we need to let it happen when they're ready. I'm not pulling a McLean on their asses," Nico says.

"But it's so boring," I whine, flopping into my seat.

"How do you think the rest of us felt watching you and Owl Head tiptoe around each other for three years?" Nico mutters, slamming his forehead onto his desk.

"Nope! You are not going to slam your head on that desk anymore, Death Breath! Do you _know_ what Thalia would do to me if I let you hurt yourself?" I hiss, pulling Nico's hair so that he is forced to lift his head off of the desk. As I release him, his hair falls back over his eyes. _how does he see through that? Hazel's gonna make him cut it,_ I think.

"Why are you staring at me?" Nico asks.

"You do know that the girls will be forcing you to cut that mop of hair before we head to LA, right? And how do you even see out of that?" I say.

"I don't," he replies. I look down at my wrist and see two rubber bands. _I think that'd work._

"Put your hair up with this," I say, giving him a rubber band.

"Why do you even have rubber bands on you?" Nico asks, raising an eyebrow as he pulls his hair back.

"Keeps me from falling asleep in class," I reply, snapping the one still on my wrist. Nico squints, looking around at the brightly lit classroom.

"It's weird being able to see everything in the room," Nico says.

"Welcome to being like the rest of us, Death Breath," I chuckle.

"But seriously, this is a pretty good idea. I'll probably end up wearing my hair in a ponytail a lot more often," Nico says, brushing one short chunk of hair behind his ear.

Rachel and Drew walk in, and they stare at Nico with an odd expression on their of them gulps, and they both keep staring at him, even though they bump into a few things. Drew holds up her phone, and a small shutter noise comes from her general direction.

"Oh god. I think they like the ponytail, Neeks. What have we done?" I whisper.

"Oh well, it's functional. I'll cut my hair eventually," he says.

"Oh god, Thalia's gonna freak," I snicker. The teacher comes in, and we go completely silent. I immediately zone out, knowing that Annabeth will just go over it with me later. _I wonder how Mom's doing?_

(Sally's POV)

I lay back on the couch with my laptop and an apple. I figure that this pregnancy would be a perfect time to work on my book, but all I can focus on is the baby. _Will I be a good parent? I made so many mistakes with Percy. At least I have help now,_ I think, thinking of Percy and Paul. _Maybe I did do good,_ I think, thinking of how great Percy turned out. He's a good boy. I trust him, even though he's a bit oblivious and his loyalty gets him into trouble sometimes, I know he'll be a great older brother. He's already done a pretty good job with Tyson. I already know that Annabeth's going to be a great daughter-in-law and an excellent sister-in-law, even though they're only sixteen, I've never seen such love in two people who aren't at least engaged. Besides, the goofy grin on his face every time Annabeth talks to him or even comes up in conversation makes me think that they might just make it all the way. _Oh god. Get to the bathroom quick Sally!_ I stagger to the bathroom, hands clasped over my mouth. I barely make it to the toilet.

"Is everything okay Sally?" Triton calls.

"Yeah, I'll be okay!" I call back, turning on the sink and washing out my mouth before going to the fridge and getting some Gatorade. I plop back on the couch, groaning. "This baby's going to be the death of me," I groan. _Was Percy this bothersome?_

"Percy's mommy!" Tyson cries, flinging himself onto the couch beside me.

"Hey, Tyson. What's up?" I say.

"I heard you throwing up. Are you sick?" he asks, his huge brown eyes filled with concern. _I'm going to tell him. If Percy trusts him, I should too. After all, he is family._

"Tyson, can you keep a secret from your parents?" I ask, ruffling his hair.

"Yes!" he says.

"Well, I'm having another kid," I whisper in his ear.

"You mean I'm going to have a playmate?" he says, smiling.

"Uh, it might be more like you with Annabeth's brothers," I say.

"Oh, okay! Annabeth's brothers are cool!" he says.

"Never change Tyson. Never change," I chuckle.

"Can we watch Spongebob?" he asks.

"Of course! When did you get into Spongebob?" I ask, changing the channel to Nickelodeon.

"My best friend back home recommended it!" he chirps.

"Ooh, what are they like?" I ask, happy that Tyson's putting himself out there.

"Her name's Ella. she's taller than me, and almost as smart as Anniebeth! She's really pretty, but everyone makes fun of her for reading big books," he says.

"I swear, you and Percy grow more alike every year," I giggle.

"How?" he says, staring intently at the television.

"You both are best friends with girls that love huge books and are super smart," I say, choosing to ignore the fact that that description is almost exactly how Percy described Annabeth to Poseidon nearly five years ago. _Why do Poseidon's children all befriend genius girls? If Tyson ends up dating her, I'm going to actually call the press and tell them how all of Poseidon's kids have a thing for geniuses._

"Ooh, and she also loves the Sirens. She was really excited when I told her that my brother lived in the same town as them," Tyson says.

"Really? Do you think she'd be happy if you got her their autographs for Christmas?" I ask.

"Yes! She says that she likes them because of their message, whatever that means," Tyson says.

"Tyson, promise me one thing," I say.

"What is it Mrs. Percy's Mom?" he asks.

"You do know you can call me Sally or Mom if you want, right?" I ask.

"Sorry, !" he says. _It's an improvement._

"Can you promise me that you'll stick up for Ella? Even if you think she can handle herself, it's always nice to have somebody in your corner," I say, thinking of all the times Annabeth and Percy would help each other. I remember having to call and explain to Frederick and Susan why Annabeth had detention several times.

"Yep! Ella's fun! I don't understand why people don't like her! Sometimes she reads me books she's gotten from the big kid part of the library!" he chirps. I laugh and he stares at me in confusion.

"Oh, sorry! You sounded like Percy eleven years ago. Wait, _has it really been that long?_ " I say

"Wait, Percy was like me once? And Anniebeth was like Ella? I thought they always acted the way they did when I met them!" he says. _Poseidon's kids, always so oblivious!_

"Of course not! Annabeth would come over and read Percy books all the time, and he'd supply snacks," I say, smiling as I remember Percy staring at Annabeth in awe as she slowly worked her way through the first Harry Potter book.

"Really? Ella would love to know that a famous singer was like her once!" he says.

"Do you want to call her and talk to her?" I say, gesturing to the landline.

"Can I?" He asks, bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Go ahead. I bet she'd be excited to hear from you!" I say. He leaps over to the phone and dials a number.

"Hi Mrs Sybilline. It's Tyson. Is Ella home?" He flops onto the couch. "Hi Ella! How's life? Oh, I'm at my older brother's house. He's at school right now, so I'm hanging out with his mom. Or is it my stepmom? Annabeth says stepmom, but I'm not sure," the girl on the other side of the phone says something, but I can't tell what. "Oh Annabeth? I've known her for almost my entire life! She's my brother's best friend and girlfriend, and she's _awesome_! She's willing to read to me, plays all kinds of games with me, and gives me ice cream. If you want, I'll get you their autographs. My stepmom says that you remind her of Annabeth when she was younger." More chatter. "She's not like the evil stepmother in all those fairytales! Sally's awesome! Anyone who can put up with any of us for thirteen years on their own definitely has my respect. We kids of Poseidon aren't exactly easy to deal with."

"I'll say! Your father didn't even send a support check or offer any kind of help! Do you _know_ how hard it is to raise a kid on three minimum wage jobs while writing a book? Your father should be lucky that I let him even get in contact with Percy after he forgot we existed for twelve years!" I grumble.

the girl speaks again, and I attempt to piece together what she's saying based off of Tyson's response. "My dad didn't tell us about her or Percy until four years ago. Apparently he cheated on Mom while she was pregnant with Triton. Mom and Sally are on pretty good terms, but between the both of them, if Dad just pulls this type of thing on us again, his reputation will be ruined." Ella talks again. "What's Percy like? He's cool! He's a way better big brother than Triton, and Mom gets along with him really well, especially considering how badly he reacted when he found out about us. Can't blame him, though. After years of thinking that his father didn't want him to stay or even provide financial help, only to find out that his father was not only alive, but had a separate family and he had two siblings he never knew about? That's gotta be tough. For some reason, he doesn't seem to have the famed Poseidon's Rage that the media talks about," he says, putting the phone on speaker.

"Oh, he does. He's just gotten _very_ good at hiding it. Someone said something racist and sexist to his friends, and-" I shudder.

"Ty, your stepmom sounds like a saint. She deserves a gift basket for all the stuff she's dealt with without being recognized by your dad,"a sweet voice says.

"I don't hold grudges. Percy and I did just fine on our own. Besides, I went from having one son to three. Percy turned out alright. He's a bit of a momma's boy, but that's probably because I'm the one constant parental figure he's had in his life," I shrug.

"We don't deserve you, Sally. We're honestly lucky that you even let us be a part of Percy's life," Amphitrite says, sitting in the recliner with a mug of hot chocolate.

"It's unfair to deny the boys the right to see their brother, right? And besides, I'm glad that you don't blame me," I chuckle.

"Percy's a good boy, Sally. You did a great job with him," she says.

"I'm gonna get started on some cookies. Do you want any? I have to hide them from Percy so he doesn't eat them all, " I say, getting to my feet.

"Can I help? I want to learn how to make the famed Jackson cookies for Tyson when we're back home," Amphitrite says.

"Of course! These cookies are what kept Percy from going through that rebellious teenage phase," I say, washing my hands.

"How?" she asks.

"I sat him down and told him that I'd never make those cookies again if he didn't respect me and follow the rules. He never sassed me after that," I say.

"You truly are a saint, Sally. If only it were that easy with Triton. He keeps sneaking out and going to parties, and he doesn't come back until morning. I'm worried that this might catch up to him someday, and he'll die, or hurt himself, or get a girl pregnant," she sighs.

"Percy told me this morning that Triton came in just before he left for school with Annabeth. He also apparently slept with Percy's ex girlfriend, Rachel," I say.

"Oh, god. I'm so sorry! Is Percy angry?" she asks, with a hand slapped over her mouth.

"Either he's hiding it _really_ well, or he doesn't care. He broke up with her for Annabeth, anyway," I say.

"Alright, but if Triton got that poor girl knocked up, I'm going to kill him," she mutters, cracking an egg into the bowl.

"I'm pretty sure Annabeth and Percy would kill them both," I say, pulling out a baking sheet.

"Oh, really? Why?" she asks.

"Rachel was one of the girls who harassed Annabeth, and Percy would follow Annabeth to the ends of the earth to make sure she and his friends were okay," I chuckle as she mixes the ingredients together.

"So if Rachel bullied-" she asks.

"Why did Percy date her? Some nonsense about trying to forget about Annabeth and his friends, because he didn't know if he'd ever see them again," I explain.

"And Annabeth isn't angry?" she says in shock.

"Oh she was at first, but he made it up to her," I say, placing the sheet of cookies in the oven. _I wonder what they're doing now,_ I think.

(Annabeth's POV)

The bell rings, and we start heading for free period. Lunch was surprisingly uneventful, with nobody bothering us. The highlight was probably Thalia nearly having a heart attack when she saw that Nico had a small ponytail.

"Cmon! We've already gone over half the choreography, Sunshine!" Piper whines, shoving open the back doors to the auditorium.

.

"Fine. no more work on the plan for today. We're going to work almost all of free period tomorrow, though," Calypso sighs as we plop down on the stage.

"Does anyone else remember that song Thalia loved last year? What was it, _Castle_?" Hazel says, swinging her legs idly.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel, _ **All**_ )

Sick of all these people talking, sick of all this noise  
 _Tired of all these cameras flashing, sick of being poised  
_ **Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it**  
Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it

 _ **I'm headed straight for the castle  
**_ They wanna make me their queen  
 **And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean  
** _ **I'm headed straight for the castle  
**_ They've got the kingdom locked up  
 _And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut  
_  
 _ **Straight for the castle  
**_  
 _Oh, all of these minutes passing, sick of feeling used_  
 **If you wanna break these walls down, you're gonna get bruised**  
Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it  
Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it

 _ **I'm headed straight for the castle**_  
They wanna make me their queen  
 **And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean  
** _ **I'm headed straight for the castle**_  
They've got the kingdom locked up  
 _And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut_

 _ **Straight for the castle  
**_  
 **There's no use crying about it  
** _There's no use crying about it  
_ There's no use crying about it  
There's no use crying about it

 _ **I'm headed straight for the castle  
**_ They wanna make me their queen  
 **And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean  
** _ **I'm headed straight for the castle**_  
They've got the kingdom locked up  
 _And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut  
_  
 _ **Straight for the castle  
**_ **They wanna make me their queen  
** And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean  
 _ **I'm headed straight for the castle  
**_ _They've got the kingdom locked up_  
And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut

 _ **Straight for the castle  
**_  
"See Thals! We do listen to the music you like," I say, elbowing her.

"I've heard that song so much that the lyrics will be permanently ingrained in my memory," Piper grumbles.

"Pipes, it could be worse. At least it's not something awful," Hazel giggles.

"Girls, we need to talk," Thalia says, glancing at Frank.

"Jay, can you hold down the fort for a few minutes?" I ask.

"Of course," he replies. I push open the door, and we all sit down on the floor outside the auditorium.

"Hazel, we can't keep going on like this. You need to tell Frank," Piper says.

"I know. It's just, I'm worried. What if he doesn't feel the same way?" she says, biting her nails.

"Hazel, Frank would have to be blind to not notice how amazing you are!" Calypso says.

"And I'm pretty sure he's noticed," I say.

"What?" Hazel says, looking hopeful.

"Percy and I were talking-" I start.

"Oh, I'm sure you did a lot _more_ than _talking_ ," Thalia interrupts.

"Why, I do believe you're correct, Miss Grace! Percy and I had a lovely time watching television in his house with his little brother!" I say, putting on a terrible British accent.

"So, no disgusting couple things?" Piper smirks.

"Anyways, Percy says that he's noticed Frank acting a bit weird when anyone mentions you or you go anywhere near him," I say.

"That's a good thing, right?" Hazel says.

"Yes. he blushes every time you get near him. I think that's good 'Zel," Thalia says.

"We should get back inside before somebody sees us," Calypso says, wincing as a loud crash comes from the room.

"Yeah. I don't know how much longer Sparky can hold out," Piper says. A loud thud. Shouts.

"I'm going to kill that Seaweed Brain," I growl, yanking open the door and stomping inside.

"Oh, shit. The girls are back," Percy says.

"Oh shit is right! .What on earth did you do?" Thalia says.

"Nothing, Nothing! I tripped and knocked over a chair. That thud was me putting it back in it's spot!" Nico says.

"Then why was there screaming?" Piper asks, crossing her arms.

"That was -err- me! Yeah! I saw an umm… spider?" Frank says.

"Nice try, Zhang," Thalia says.

"I won't pry," I shrug.

"Who are you and what have you done with Annabeth Chase?" Calypso says.

"I figure that they don't want to tell us for a reason," I explain.

"Oh thank god!" Percy whispers, slinging an arm over my shoulders. I smirk, and hum a tune under my breath.

"You do know that Tyson's probably rifling through your drawers right now, right?" I say, quietly enough that only Percy can hear me.

"Oh please, what do you take me for, an idiot? Don't answer that. Anyway, I turned my dresser around and shoved it against the wall before I left," he whispers.

"Aww, you can think," I say, playfully ruffling his hair.

"Wow. I hoped you'd be easier on me now that we're dating, but I guess not," he mutters.

"Oh, shut up. You know you love me," I smirk.

"Yeah, yeah," he whispers, rolling his eyes.

"So, if you two are done whispering, I need to borrow the nerd," Thalia says, glaring at her science textbook.

"I'll be right back Seaweed Brain," I whisper, standing on my tiptoes to peck his cheek and then walking over to Thalia.

"Can you help me with this? I don't understand momentum," she grumbles.

"Okay, so momentum refers to the quantity of motion that an object has. If an object is in motion, it has momentum," I say.

"Well, I get _that_ , but how do I solve problems with momentum?" she says.

"You know how to solve for mass and velocity, correct?" I say.

"Yes. Is that all it is?" she asks.

"Momentum equals mass times velocity. It's that simple," I say.

"Thanks Annie," she says.

"Anytime. And you know, I think you'd look really good with one of those side shaved things. What is it called again? Oh, yeah! An undercut!" I say.

"I'll consider it," she chuckles.

"Pip! When's your dad coming back from wherever he's shooting that movie?" I ask.

"He's in Australia, and he won't be back until April," Piper says, with her head in Jason's lap. Hazel is nervously talking to Frank, and Nico is telling Percy some sort of story, gesticulating wildly.

"He better get you something, or at least spend time with you, or I'm going to kick his little Hollywood ass," I say.

"Woah, Annie! Chill. You're only 5'9! He's got several inches on you and he's still really in shape from his _King of Sparta_ days!" Piper says.

"Piper, your dad left you with assistants almost your entire life. He better make some kind of effort to be a real father," I growl, plopping down next to Percy,who is slumped against the wall.

"I think Kelp Head's finally rubbing off on you, Owl Head," Thalia says as she twists Nico's ponytail around a bandaged finger and he moves his hand under her chin. Percy and I roll our eyes.

"Pinecone Face, If you and Death Breath are going to start making out, please find someplace else to do it. We don't need to add the auditorium to the list of places we've all defiled with our dirty, dirty sinning," Percy says. They spring apart, and I raise an eyebrow.

"But- we- weren't!" Thalia stammers.

"Yeah, Thals, and I'm the queen of England," I snort, pulling my phone out of my bra.

"I will never understand how you can get away with that," Percy says, staring at me in shock.

"Girls clothing has next to no pocket space. It's easier to keep your phone in your bra, because it's really obvious when somebody's trying to steal it," I say, before groaning when I see that Mom is trying to call me.

"I'll let you handle Athena, since she doesn't want to castrate you and feed you to the wolves," Percy shudders. I accept the call, and silently pray to all the gods I've ever heard of that this won't end badly.

"Hello?" I say.

"Ah, Annabeth. It's your mother," she responds coolly.

"Yes, Mom, I'm aware. What did you need?" I say.

"I called to ask you what you were planning to do for winter break, because I want you to come spend it with me," she says.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I have to babysit my brothers all week, and then crews are filming our first Christmas back in Mystic, and then I'm doing a lot of music stuff," I say, rambling desperately in an attempt to avoid her asking about Percy.

"How about after Christmas?" she asks.

"My half brothers are staying with us all break, so I can't," I say.

"Did you break up with Barnacle Beard's son yet?" She asks. _DAMMIT!_

"Well, err, no. Percy and I haven't broken up," I say nervously.

"What? Why not?" Mom yells. I cringe.

"Well, we're pretty happy together," I say.

"The Demon's asking about us?" Percy says.

"Can you be quiet Perce?" I ask, slapping his shoulder.

"What was that?" Mom asks, her tone dangerously level.

"Oh sorry, Percy was being really loud. And before you ask why he's near me, we're at school," I say.

"Since you can't come out here, I think I'll drive out to Mystic for the holidays," She says.

"Oh,no Mom, I hardly think that will be necessary! Where would you sleep? All of our bedrooms are full until January," I say, panicking.

"I'll figure it out, Annabeth," she says.

"Ooh! I almost forgot! Poseidon wanted to talk to you about putting the feud behind you," I say.

" _What_?" she says. I can hear the anger in her voice.

"Now that Percy and I are umm… dating, he figures that the feud isn't really necessary. He said something about using Percy and I as a sort of bridge between your companies?" I say, getting up and walking into the empty hallway.

"And why would he want to end the feud?" Mom says.

"Look, Mom, I know you don't understand why I chose him, but he makes me _really_ happy. Your feud with his father is really difficult to work around, but I want to try. _We_ want to try. I know you don't like Percy, for whatever reason, but when your childish feud gets in the way of your children's happiness, there's a problem," I say.

"Childish!" Mom huffs.

"Yes, Mom. this feud is childish. Percy's a great guy, but you refuse to accept it because you're angry at his father for something that technically wasn't even his fault! Until you get your life together and stop living in the past, don't expect me to pick up your calls," I say, before hanging up. Percy pokes his head out of the door and spots me nearly tearing my hair out in frustration.

"Babe, are you okay?" he asks, walking over to me.

"Mom refuses to accept the fact that we're dating," I groan, burying my face in his shirt.

"Hey, hey. We can get through it, I promise," he whispers.

"She also insists on coming out to see me for winter break," I choke out.

"I'll try and impress her, then, I guess," he says.

"Percy, you don't have to do this," I say.

"Wise Girl, I want to. Your mom means a lot to you, and I want her to like me," he says.

"Percy," I start, leaning away from him.

"Annabeth, listen. I love you, but it kind of sucks knowing that your mother wants to actually kill me for daring to hold your hand," he says.

"I know. I love you too. I _tried_ so hard to get her to accept it, but in the end, I had to give her an ultimatum. At this point, she can either end the feud, or lose me forever. I can't do this anymore," I sob.

"Beth, you didn't have to risk losing your relationship with your mother for me," he says.

"I had to. If mom won't accept us, then I don't need her in my life," I say.

"I don't deserve you," he says.

"Don't sell yourself short," I say.

"I'm serious! You're willing to sacrifice everything for me, when it'd be a lot safer and easier to just date some famous actor or model or something," he sighs.

"Percy, I love you, and I'm not leaving you for some boring Hollywood superstar. Just accept it," I say.

"Sorry, it's just, Triton keeps saying that you're gonna realize how-" he starts. The announcement system turns on.

"Attention students! Please get to the nearest classroom! We are in a lockdown situation! This is not a drill, I repeat this is not a-" Our principal's voice says, before getting cut off by several loud popping noises and screams. The system goes dead silent, and Percy and I dash into the auditorium, where our friends are staring at the loudspeaker nervously.

"Attention students and staff of Goode High School," A raspy voice slurs. Percy cringes. "This school is under our control now, but I'll let everyone free if a certain punk turns himself in to me. Who, you may ask? Perseus, or as you probably know him, Percy Jackson." the system cuts off, and Percy cringes again.

"Shh, It'll be fine," I whisper.

"I should have known! How could I have been such a goddamn idiot?" he shouts, kicking a chair.

"Percy, beating yourself up won't help anyone. We need a plan," I say.

"Who was that man, and why did he want Percy?" Calypso asks, her voice shaking along with her hands.

"You know how Percy said he was a victim of domestic abuse?" I say, as Percy clenches his jaw and looks away.

"No," She gasps.

"Yep. My ex step dad is holding us hostage," Percy says, nodding grimly.


	13. A Hostage Situation: Part 1

Chapter 13

Previously on Secretly Us:"Yep. My ex step dad is holding us hostage," ~Percy

(Percy's POV)

"It'd be a lot easier if Leo was here. We need a huge distraction if we want to get out of here," Frank says. Loud footsteps come from the hallway. The door creaks open.

"Percy, hide!" Annabeth hisses, shoving me behind a set onstage.

"Have any of you seen this boy today?" a man asks. I can see him tucking a pistol into his waistband from a small crack.

"We've seen him around school,but I haven't seen him since 7:30," Piper says.

"I saw him leaving the school in between third period and lunch," Annabeth says.

" was complaining this morning about feeling sick. Maybe he went home?" Nico says.

"I saw him walking into the nurse's office near the end of third period, so I think he went home," Thalia says.

"Look, he's not in here. That's all we know. If we're in here for a while, are we going to be getting dinner?" Hazel says.

"Did you get the secretaries in the office help?" Callie asks.

"No need," one man says. I can practically hear the gears in Annabeth's head turning.

"But that means… You killed the nice old secretaries?" Annabeth says.

"Yes, and that's what's going to happen to you if we find out that you're hiding that brat," the man says.

"Please don't hurt us! We're telling the truth! Percy left this morning! Can you let us all go?" Frank says. The door slams shut. It's quiet for a moment.

"Coast's clear!" Annabeth calls.

"Guys, I can't let you get killed because of me!" I say.

"What's our other option? Turning you in? Because it'd have to be a cold day in hell before I let that happen," Annabeth says.

"You have to! Don't you get it? If you don't, everyone's going to die, not just me! You can move on. Please, just let me go!" I say.

"What about Annabeth? Sally? Paul? Tyson? Poseidon? We need you around!" Nico says.

"You idiot, I need you!" Annabeth says, swatting my arm.

"Gabe is gonna target the people I care about. I got away from him once, but he won't let me escape this time. I have to leave before he gets you too," I say.

"If you go, I'm going with you," Annabeth says.

"Annabeth," I sigh.

"Don't even. I let that asshole abuse you once, I'm not letting it happen again," she says.

"We're going too," Thalia says, gripping Nico's hand.

"I've lost my family before. I'm not losing one of my best friends," Nico says.

"I'm going. We're a family. We have to look out for each other," Calypso says.

""I'm going. Somebody responsible should be part of this mess," Jason sighs, cleaning his glasses on the hem of his shirt.

"I'm going. If you're going down, I'm going down with you," Piper says.

"Percy, you're like a brother to me. I'm not turning my back on you," Hazel says.

"I'm going. You were one of the first people to actually accept me," Frank says.

"Guys, I can't let you do this. This is my fault. You are going to get out. I'm not. That's the way it has to be," I say.

"No it doesn't!" Annabeth cries.

"I lost you once! I'm not losing you again!" I hiss.

"If we can get into the supply closet by the gym, we can get some makeshift weapons. They won't work against guns, but they'll have to do," Thalia says, pulling up a map of the school on her phone.

"Then, Percy and I head down to the office. I'll act like I found you and am turning you over. Piper, Jason, and Callie need to sneak in and draw all the guys out of the room, Where Thalia, Frank, Hazel and Nico will knock them out. Take their guns. We'll have to lock them in the closet. Then we meet in the empty classroom. We'll have to plan for Gabe. it's risky, but it's the only way that Percy isn't guaranteed to get hurt," Annabeth says.

"You still remember how to make explosions out of school supplies, right Pipes?" Hazel says.

"We grew up with Repair Boy! Of course we know!" Jason says.

"Good. We need to disguise Percy if we're going to be sending him down the hallways," Annabeth says.

"How about we wait until nighttime? Our kidnappers are going to be tired or asleep, meaning they'll be easier to beat," Frank says.

"Good idea. It's 4:12. What are we going to do until then?" Callie says, checking her phone.

"We should probably call our families, let them know the situation," I say, pulling out my phone and calling my mother.

"Hello?" she says.

"Mom, it's me. Listen, I'm okay, but Gabe's taken our entire school hostage and he won't let us go until I hand myself over to him. They have guns, and at least three people have been killed. As far as I know, Paul's still alive, and we're all okay. I love you," I say.

"I love you too. Stay safe, and call me if anything changes," she says.

"I will. Annabeth's got this plan to get everyone out of here without me having to turn myself in, but I don't know if it will work," I sigh.

"Goodbye, Percy. I'll tell your father and Amphitrite what's happening," she says.

"Bye Mom. hopefully we'll see you soon," I say, hanging up.

"Annabeth, you should call Athena. I know you gave her that ultimatum, but, as your mother, she deserves to know what's going on, especially if this is the last time she'll ever hear from you," I sigh.

"Fine. you're lucky I love you, or else I'd have kicked your annoying ass a long time ago," she grumbles, dialling Athena's number.

"Go," I whisper.

"Hey mom, I know what I said earlier, and I mean it, but there's a group of men with guns holding our entire school hostage, and I don't know if I'm going to survive. I'm so sorry, and I love you," she chokes out.

"It'll be okay," I whisper, wrapping my arms around her as she lets out a strangled cry.

"Now what?" Frank asks.

"I don't know. We can't leave Percy anywhere," Annabeth says.

"We're trapped in here," Thalia groans. Piper sings softly as she doodles on Thalia's kneecap through a rip in her jeans. I can't tell what she's singing, but Annabeth, Thalia, and Hazel somehow pick up on the lyrics.

(Annabeth, Piper, Hazel, Thalia, All)

I'm limited.  
Just look at me.  
I'm limited.  
And just look at you.  
You can do all I couldn't do.  
Glinda...  
So now it's up to you,  
For both of us.  
Now it's up to you.

I've heard it said,  
That people come into our lives  
For a reason  
Bringing something we must learn.  
And we are led to those  
Who help us most to grow if we let them.  
And we help them in return.  
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true  
But I know I'm who I am today  
Because I knew you.  
  
Like a comet pulled from orbit  
As it passes a sun,  
Like a stream that meets a boulder  
Halfway through the wood.  
Who can say if I've been changed for the better  
But because I knew you.  
I have been changed for good.

It well may be  
That we will never meet again  
In this lifetime.  
So, let me say before we part:  
So much of me  
Is made of what I learned from you.  
You'll be with me  
Like a handprint on my heart.  
And now whatever way our stories end  
I know you have rewritten mine  
By being my friend.  
  
Like a ship blown from it's mooring  
By a wind off the sea.  
Like a seed dropped by a skybird  
In a distant wood.  
Who can say if I've been changed for the better  
But because I knew you...

Because I knew you...  
  
I have been changed for good.

And just to clear the air  
I ask forgiveness  
For the things I've done,  
You blame me for.

But then I guess,  
We know there's blame to share.  
  
And none of it seems to matter anymore.  
Like a comet pulled from orbit  
(Like a ship blown from it's mooring)  
As it passes a sun.  
(By a wind off the sea)  
Like a stream that meets a boulder  
(Like a seed dropped by bird)  
Halfway through the wood.  
(In the wood)  
Who can say if I've been changed for the better.  
I do believe I have been changed for the better.  
  
And because I knew you...

Because I knew you...  
  
Because I knew you  
I have been changed...  
For good.

"I'm bored," Thalia whines, flopping onto the ground.

"We all are, but we can't do anything about it," Nico sighs.

Might as well finish the choreography, right?" Hazel says.

"It'll give us something to do," Callie says.

"Yeah, but what are we supposed to do?" Jason asks.

"There's a computer in here. Try hooking it up to the projector, and maybe we can get into Piper's Netflix account and watch some movies," Hazel says, before turning back to Calypso, who is demonstrating something..

"Alright. Zhang, can you pull down the projector screen?" I say, wheeling the small laptop cart over to where there are a few extension cords.

"I think that we did it," Nico says a few minutes later, turning the laptop on and smirking as the large screen onstage displays the image.

"Pipes! Get over here!" Jason calls. Piper stops dancing across the stage in line with the girls and trots over to us, panting a little bit. She hurriedly types in her Netflix information, grabs a sip of water from a fountain just outside of the room, then joins the girls back onstage.

"Okay, girls! One last runthrough and we're done for today!" Calypso says.

"Alright!" Thalia cheers.

"C'mon Zhang, can you just ask my sister out and get it over with?" Nico whispers, staring as the girls practice. I find myself watching too, although I listen for the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Frank keeps his eyes locked on Hazel, not noticing when Jason sneaks up behind him to swat his head.

"Focus! Staring at her isn't going to solve anything!" Jason hisses.

"Sorry! It's just, this could be my last time ever seeing her, you know?" Frank mutters.

"Yeah, I get it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about Annabeth, but she can handle herself. I'm more worried about what Gabe will do to her if he finds out we're dating," I sigh.

"He's after you, and I'm assuming that he'll go after anyone and everyone to get you," Jason says.

"Yeah. she's at a huge risk," I say as the girls finish up their choreography.

"What do you wanna watch?" Piper calls as she scrolls through the available options.

"A comedy? God knows we need a laugh after all of this," Jason calls.

"The Princess Bride it is!" Piper says, starting the movie and plopping down in the seat next to Jason. Annabeth slips into the seat beside me, and leans on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I whisper.

"As okay as I can be, knowing that at any moment, my boyfriend could be kidnapped and we could all be shot," she mutters.

"Hey, keep it positive. Things look bad right now, but we can make it through," I sigh.

"You're the best," Annabeth yawns, shutting her eyes.

"I love you," I whisper, knowing that if I get captured, those might be the last words she ever hears me say.

"I love you too," she whispers. I hear her breathing steady, and I fight to stay awake. Eventually, everyone's asleep except for me. I can't let anyone else get hurt, I think. I wait until the end of the movie to get up. I hope you'll forgive me, Wise Girl, but I lost you once. I can't lose you again, I think, dropping a note into my empty seat and slipping out the doors, into the dark hallways.

(Gabe's POV)

Plip! Plip! The sound of water dripping from the fountain is bothersome. By itself, it would be soothing, but it takes me back to prison. I hear a child wailing upstairs. Good. I hope that brat turns himself in soon. The room is thick with the smell of the blood of these useless secretaries.Plip! Plip!

"Argh! I'm gonna lose my mind in this place!" I yell, throwing a stapler at the wall.

"Uh, Boss?" one of the thugs I hired says. I think his name is Ed. Eddie? I don't know, and I don't really care.

"What?" I growl.

"We talked to some of the target's supposed friends. They say he went home early today," he says.

"What?" I say. The man's eyes widen.

"We have a girl who witnessed him leaving the school, a girl who witnessed him entering the nurse's office, and a boy who can link the two sightings together based on what Jackson had told him. We checked the nurse's office, but there was a sign on the door saying that the nurse was out at lunch," Eddie says.

"Damn it! That punk always manages to escape me!" I shout.

"Boss?" He says.

"Scour the school. Look for the punk," I growl. He leads a team of men out into the hallways. I sit back in my chair. With the punk out of the way, I'll remarry Sally and bump her off. Then I'm the sole recipient of their family! Man, it feels good to be a boss, I think. Sally Jackson was one of the sweetest ladies I ever met. She never interrupted my poker games, made me homemade meals, picked up after me, you get the idea. However, she had one flaw. Her idiotic, bratty son, Perseus Jackson, and his band of misfits. He'd interrupt my games, eat a portion of MY meals, and never clean up after me. I'd never actually met his friends, but I assume that they are just as bad as him. I've only seen the backs of their heads, and maybe heard a nickname or two slip out of the brat's mouth. I know he had a friend that was a tall blonde girl, a tiny girl with curly dark hair, a boy with crazy brown hair, a tall blond boy, a chubby boy with black hair, two people with short black hair whose gender I couldn't tell, and a girl with straight brown hair. The brat was friends with them when I got there, and they were friends when I left. Why they chose to be around him, I don't know. When he was younger, his hair stuck up every which way, his eyes were a sickening green color, and he didn't respect anyone. He'd also come home with skills akin to a criminal. I remember he came home from school one day and picked the lock.

"You're bluffing, Gabe!" One of my buddies says.

"Am I?" I say, taking a huge drag off of my cigar.

"Fine. I fold," he grumbles. The doorknob jiggles, but I locked it, so Jackson can't get in until I want to let him in.

"Hey, the punk's back from school," I say.

"Same time tomorrow?" He says, slipping out of the back door. The doorknob jiggles again, and the door creaks open.

"Hello? Is anyone home? Mom?" The punk says.

"Get in here boy!" I shout. He quietly walks into the room and steps in front

"Uh, hi?" He says.

"How the hell did you get in?" I bellow, flicking ashes from my cigar into his stupid smug face.

"Uh, I picked the lock," he coughs, wincing as I dig my lit cigar into the flesh on his elbow.

"And where did you learn that?" I ask. He shakes his head, so I shove him back. He stumbles, and attempts to run. I follow him, and manage to trip him. "Answer me, damn it!" I shout, kicking him in the ribs.

"Please stop," he wails. I throw my empty beer bottle at his stomach, and Sally opens the door.

"I'm home!" She calls.

"Boss? He's nowhere to be seen," Eddie says.

"Shit! Bring me his friends. Maybe that will draw him out of whatever hole he's hiding in," I say. He leaves again.

(Annabeth's POV)

I wake up, and feel the cold seat next to me, instead of where my boyfriend should be.

"Percy?" I say, sitting straight up. In his seat, there's a note, written in Percy's handwriting. No! No! He couldn't have left me! I think, grabbing the note and shakily holding it to the light. Dear Annabeth,

First off, if you're reading this, I'm gone. I know that I said that I wouldn't sacrifice myself, but I can't let you get hurt because of me. Gabe's going after me, and if he knew about you, well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty. Anyways, I love you, and I'm so sorry that it has to be this way, it says. By the end of the note, I'm tearing up and breathing a little heavy. Piper wakes up at the sound of my sobs, and she looks over.

"What's wrong?"she mutters. I silently hand over the note and bring my knees up to my chest, screaming until my throat is raw. "Annabeth, I'm so sorry!" She chokes out, wiping tears away. I sob harder, hoping desperately that he's okay.

"What happens now?" Thalia asks, her eyeliner smudged and her voice watery.

"I don't know, but Annabeth's falling apart over there," Nico sighs. Hazel says nothing, just wrapping me up in a hug. I sniffle a bit.

"Are you feeling better?" Frank asks.

"I guess. But we need to go. We're going to find that idiot so I can kick his little selfish ass," I say, getting to my feet.

(Percy's POV)

The halls are quiet, except for the sounds of footsteps in the distance. I stay in the shadows, stepping lightly on my toes in an effort to evade capture for a bit longer. I need to make it to Paul's room, I think. I hope Annabeth's going to be okay, now that I might never see her again. I duck into a janitor's closet and scroll through pictures of my friends on my phone absentmindedly while I plan my next move. There's Piper, Jason, Annabeth, and I! Focus, Jackson, I think, continuing down the hall, and into Paul's room.

"You're alright! I was so worried something had happened to you!" Paul says, hugging me tightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine for now," I say with a grimace.

"Where's Annabeth?" Paul asks.

"Gabe's goons threatened to kill her and all of my friends if they found out that they knew where I was," I say.

"So you snuck out?" Paul says.

"Yeah. If we all make it out of this, Annabeth's going to kick my ass into next week, but it's for her own safety," I shrug.

"So what's your plan? You can't hide from them forever," he says.

"Gabe says that if I turn myself in, he'll let everyone else go, so that's what I have to do," I sigh.

"But-" Paul stutters.

"Paul. You've got a kid coming, and three teachers have already been shot and killed. I can't let anyone else get hurt because of me. There are nearly 1000 people in this school. I'm not putting them at risk," I say.

"But you'll be killed!" Paul whispers.

"It has to be done. Tell Mom that I'm sorry," I say, before tiptoeing out the door. I need to head down to the office, and turn myself over to Gabe directly. I tiptoe into the office while Gabe and his goons are raiding the cafeteria, and wait. He waddles in a few minutes later, and nearly jumps when he sees me lounging in a big desk chair.

"I knew you'd turn yourself in eventually, punk," Gabe says, attempting to crack his knuckles.

"Hi Gabe. Look, can I call my mom and my friends to say goodbye? Otherwise, my friends are going to come look for me," I sigh. He nods and waddles back towards the cafeteria.I take a deep

breath and call my mother.

"Hello?" She says.

"Hi mom. Listen closely, since I don't have much time. I turned myself in so everyone else can go free. Paul's okay, and so are all of my friends. I'm so sorry, and I love you," I say.

"What? Percy don't, please!" She says. I hang up. Now comes the harder one: telling Annabeth. I dial her number with shaky hands.

"Hello?" She says.

"Hey babe," I sigh.

"Perseus Allen Jackson, what the fuck were you thinking?" She screams.

"I can't let you get hurt, Annabeth! That's what I was thinking!" I shout.

"I'm not some damsel in distress, Jackson! I can handle myself!" She says.

"I turned myself in," I huff.

"You did what? I swear, if you make it out of this, I'll kill you!" She screams.

"I'm sorry," I say.

"We had a plan! We were supposed to stick to the plan! Remember? New York, college, no rules?" She sobs.

"I know. Listen, Gabe doesn't have a gun, but his goons do. They're all downstairs in the cafeteria. If you guys make it upstairs, you can get everyone out through the emergency staircase. If I can, I'll meet you out there, but in case this is goodbye, I love you, Wise Girl," I say.

"I love you too, you Seaweed Brain," she says, before hanging up. Let's do this thing.


	14. A Hostage Situation: Part 2

Chapter 14

(Annabeth's POV)

 _Hold it together, Chase. Get everyone out, and then come back for Percy. Everyone's watching. Don't let them know how heartbroken you are. Leaders can't be weak. Nobody will take you seriously if they see a pretty blonde girl crying over a boy. I'm tired of nobody taking me seriously. I have to make a plan,_ I repeat in my head, over and over, like a mantra as I pace across the stage. _I got something!_

"Okay, Nico, Frank, Callie, I need you to lead everyone out of the emergency exit in the left corner of the building. Thalia, Hazel, we're gonna get Percy back. You guys'll get weapons and knock Gabe out, and I'll buy us some time. Piper, Jason, I need you to swipe some chemicals from the science labs and draw as many goons outside as possible. We've only got one shot, so we need to do this right," I say as everyone huddles around me.

"Hands in?" Frank asks. Everyone puts their hands in the center of our small circle.

"Okay. we can do this," Callie says.

"Ready, break!" Thalia says.

"Catch you on the outside!" Piper says, saluting before running out of one of the auditorium entrances, Jason hot on her heels.

"We'll take care of the people in the locker rooms. Now go," Hazel says, shooing Nico before stepping into the hall. Thalia and I follow, sneaking past the armed guards. I poke my head into the boys locker room.

"Hello?" I say, stepping inside. I gag at the odor. I can only describe it as moldy pizza, wrapped in gym shorts and an overload of cologne. _Ugh. Percy so owes me for this. At least I didn't end up coated in sewage this time._ A huge group of fully dressed boys is huddled in a corner.

"Ah! A girl!" one of them yells, flailing wildly.

"A really pretty one," another says.

"Hey, back off! She's _Percy Jackson's_ girlfriend!" one of them says.

"I am right now, if he hasn't been killed yet, but Percy sacrificed himself so we can all escape. Go! Now!" I say.

"But what about you?" a freshman asks, as Thalia starts pointing the girls in the direction of the exit that the guys have opened.

"I'm going to get Percy back," I say, cracking my knuckles.

"How? You're just one girl," a boy stammers.

"Based on what I know about these goons, they always underestimate the little blonde girl. Now go, before anyone finds you," I say, watching Hazel smash the padlock off of the closet door with a metal water bottle. She grabs two metal bats and tosses me a broken wooden bat.

"Let's do this," Thalia whispers, as we dive into a locker room to hide as a bunch of guards run towards an explosion in the distance.

"Pipes really came through, didn't she?" Hazel says as the last set of feet pass by.

"Alright. Percy's held in the front office," Thalia says.

"You incapacitate the abuser. I'll get the Seaweed Brain," I say, as we run down the hallways.

"Stop!" A lone guard says. I hurl my broken bat and watch its splintered surface smack the man in the temple as he turns to call for help. I jog over, grab the man's arm, and toss him into the girls bathroom.

"Okay. I'll go in first. I'll scratch the back of my head when it's time for you to knock out the leader," I whisper.

"Okay," Hazel says.

"In case this goes horribly wrong, and I die, it's been a pleasure working with you. Wouldn't trade it for the world," I say, before slowly opening the door and slipping in. The air is thick with blood, and I see the three secretaries sprawled across the carpet. I check their pulses. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I hold back a sob, and I hear a loud crack. Percy screams. _No God, please no! Please! Please let that be a broken arm or something. Anything other than a life threatening injury,_ I think. _Now to draw Gabe out._ I quickly throw a chair at the wall.

"Who's there?" A gruff voice slurs. Footsteps. _He shouldn't be armed,_ I think, squatting in a corner where Gabe's back should be to the door. "Oh, a little pretty blonde! What do you think you're doing? Rescuing this punk? Yeah, right," he says, standing in front of me. I scratch the back of my head, signaling the girls to come in.

"No, sir! It's just, you said that when Percy Jackson turned himself in, you'd let us go. Well, he did, and I was sent to check if the people who were shot survived," I say, watching Thalia and Hazel sneak up on Gabe. Thalia slams the tip of her bat into his temple as Hazel swings and hits him in the gut, causing him to double over. Thalia brings her bat down on the back of his head, knocking him to the ground. I kneel on his back and pinch the veins on either side of his flabby neck. He flails for a moment, maybe two, then he stops.

"I'll guard him! You get your boyfriend out of there" Thalia says, readying her bat to swing again, should Gabe attempt to stand up. I run towards the room Gabe came out of, attempting to avoid the puddles of blood. I throw open the door and gasp. Percy's arms are tied around a chair, with his legs tied to the front legs of it. There's a deep cut across his forehead, that's dripping blood into his eyes. His shirt is torn and bloody, probably coming from the gash across his chest. His breathing is ragged and shallow, and he winces with every rise and fall of his chest.

"Annabeth?" He hisses, looking up and squinting through the blood. He winces again.

"Yeah, I'm gonna get you out, then we're going to the hospital, okay? We're gonna get you fixed up," I say, untying his hands.

"Why'd you come back?" He coughs. Blood comes from his mouth too. _Oh god._

"You'd do the same for me," I say, untying his legs. "Are you okay to walk on your own?" I ask, cringing as he moves painfully slow. I drape his arm over my shoulder. "Thals! Can you come help me with Percy? He's been injured badly enough that he can't move very fast on his own," I call. Thalia comes in and drapes Percy's other arm over her shoulder and starts walking. Hazel brings the bat down on Gabe's head another time before coming up to us. Another muffled explosion.

"We need to get to the fire drill lines. That's where everyone else is except Jason and Piper," she says. It's silent for most of the time, then I hear police sirens in the distance as people come into view.

"Hold on, Percy, we're almost there, okay?" I whisper.

"I think I can stand on my own," he gasps, moving his arm off of Thalia's shoulder. She goes to find Nico, and Hazel calls Piper to tell her to come back. Percy and I stagger after Thalia. Percy's getting paler and paler, and while we're talking to our friends, he collapses.

"Someone call an ambulance!" I cry, kneeling down over his limp body. Hazel, Piper, and Jason run over and stare in horror. Sirens. Cars drive up. Cameras flashing. Sally, Paul, Poseidon and Amphitrite come over,

"What happened?" Poseidon yells. By this point I'm using my jacket in an effort to stop the flow of blood.

"Gabe hurt him, and he just collapsed! Please, somebody help me! He's lost a lot of blood, and Gabe broke one of his bones, but I don't know which one!" I sob. More flashes.

"Can you guys go away?" Poseidon bellows. The paparazzi turn and leave.

"This is all my fault," I gasp as an ambulance screeches to a halt in the parking lot.

"No it isn't, Annabeth," Sally says soothingly.

"He sacrificed himself so we could get out, and nobody stopped him! Granted, he snuck out while we were sleeping, but nobody stopped him!" I sob. Paramedics rush over and load his body onto a stretcher.

"Miss? Can you tell us what happened to your err- friend?" a paramedic says as I walk alongside them.

"So, his crazy abusive ex stepfather took our entire school hostage. I don't know why, but the police are bringing him out right now," I say, pointing as two police officers are dragging Gabe out of the front doors of the school.

"So he did this?" the paramedic asks, opening the door and allowing me inside the ambulance.

"Yes. my friend sacrificed himself so everyone else could escape. He called and told us to get everyone else out, and that he could handle himself. Three of our friends went around to get all the other people out of the school, two of our friends distracted all the guards with guns and led them to the cops, and I took two of our friends to free him. When we got there, I heard a crack, and my friend screaming. When I got in there, he was bleeding really heavily. I think the crack was a bone breaking, but I'm not sure which one. I know it wasn't his arms, legs, back, or nose, but that's all. I helped him get out, but he said that he could stand on his own, so I let him. He was talking to our friends and doing okay, but he was getting really pale. Then, he just collapsed. I think the blood loss finally got him," I say.

"And what's the bloody bundle of fabric you're holding?" the paramedic asks.

"Oh, my jacket. I used it to try and staunch the flow of blood," I say.

"We'll meet you at the hospital!" Thalia shouts as the doors close. The ambulance starts moving, and I hold Percy's pale and cold hand.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm sorry I couldn't get there sooner," I say. His pulse is faint. The ambulance screeches to a stop, and a doctor throws the door open. I help them pull the stretcher into the hospital, and I sit down in the waiting room next to Percy's family and call Mom. "Hey Mom, it's me. We made it out okay, but I'm in the hospital with Poseidon," I say.

"Get away from that asshole, Annabeth!" She cries.

"No! Percy's in the hospital, and we're here for him!" I say.

"Oh great, so now you just _socialize_ with my worst enemy?" She says.

"Will you let it go? It's been 25 years! I'm done with this. Call me back when you swallow your pride and call a truce," I say, hanging up.

"Annabeth, thanks," Poseidon says.

"For what sir?" I say.

"Being there for Percy for all these years despite your mother and I arguing constantly. I know it couldn't have been easy," he says. The door flies open, and Thalia, Piper, Hazel, Callie, Nico, Jason, Frank, and Leo tumble in.

"He's done the same for me. Remember, we're best friends first, and a couple second," I say, watching as a nurse looks around the room.

"Jackson?" the nurse yawns. We scramble over to him, and Sally squeezes my hand. "Percy's awake now, and he's lost a lot of blood, so we're giving him a blood transfusion. Thanks to Miss Chase's description of the event that led to his injuries, we were able to find that he has two fractured ribs. You can go in, but don't touch any of the equipment." I run for the room while everyone else is celebrating.

"Hey you nerd," he croaks.

"Goddamit Percy! What were you thinking? You could have died!" I say, plopping down in the chair next to his bed and intertwining our fingers.

"I didn't want to lose you again. You already left once, and I couldn't let it happen again," he croaks.

"Gabe's back in jail again. He won't hurt you. You're gonna pull through, and I'll take you out for lunch when your ribs heal," I say.

"You're on," he says, clearing his throat. I hear footsteps, so I lean down and kiss him quickly before Percy's parents come in.

"Love you," I whisper.

"Love you too," he mutters. Poseidon, Sally, Paul, and Amphitrite come in.

"I'll let you hang out with your parents," I say, waving as I leave the room. Thalia waves me over, and I sit on the ground next to her.

"So how's the boyfriend doing?" Thalia cackles.

"He's awake, and he's talking. Since he has broken ribs, they just need to bandage him up, give him some pain meds, and then he can go home," I say.

"We're all going in after his parents. Do you wanna come with?" Hazel grins.

"I've already gone in," I say. A sickly-looking little girl wearing a thick pink beanie comes up to us.

"Um… I'm a huge fan. Can I get an autograph?" she asks, holding out her white stuffed rabbit.

"Sure! What's your name sweetheart?" I ask.

"Valentina," she giggles. I sign her toy, and pass it over to Thalia, Hazel and Piper, who all sign it.

"To Valentina. Keep on rocking," Thalia says, handing the toy back.

"Thank you!" She chirps.

"Valentina! C'mon you need your chemo!" a woman who I assume is her mother says.

"Bye! Get well soon!" Piper says.

"What a cute little girl," Calypso remarks, as Percy's parents return to the waiting room.

"They're bandaging him up. He'll be allowed to leave in a half hour," Amphitrite says.

"We'll be right back," Leo says, turning back to face me as my friends jog towards Percy's room.

"Sally, are you okay?" I ask, watching her wipe away some tears.

"Huh? Oh yeah! I'm just so happy that everybody's okay!" she hiccups. I hear laughter coming from Percy's room, and I crack a smile.

"Is Percy still allowed to go to Winter Ball if we keep an eye on him? The girls and I are supposed to perform, and since it was supposed to be at the Inn downtown, we probably can still go," I say.

"Yeah, he can go, as long as he avoids confrontations that could mess with his ribs," Paul says.

"Great!" I say as the others come back. Piper's scribbling furiously in her songbook, Thalia's texting somebody, Jason's laughing at something Leo's saying, while Hazel's gesticulating wildly as she tells Frank a story. Nico's frowning as he tries to brush a short chunk of hair out of his face. Calypso is braiding her hair and humming softly. I smile and start mentally going over our set list for the dance.

(Percy's POV)

"So, Mister Jackson, your umm, friend? Girlfriend? What's your relationship with the girl who was trying to help you when you collapsed?" the doctor starts.

"She's my girlfriend," I say, assuming that they're going to ask about what happened.

"Alright, your girlfriend, Miss Chase, already told us what she knows, but do you have anything to add?" The doctor says.

"She saw all of my injuries, but in case it helps, I was attacked with a knife. That's what caused all of the bleeding. He also punched me many times. I think that's what got my ribs broken," I say.

"Okay. Do you want to press charges against Gabriel Ugliano?" She asks.

"Yes. This is the second time he's tried to kill me, and he deserves to rot for it. He won't escape again, right? I don't want him to attack my friends and family again," I say.

"Alright. For broken ribs, we insist that you take these painkillers. Don't do anything that could impact the healing process, such as standing up too straight, and most types of swimming. Somebody needs to keep an eye on you the first time you use the medicine to make sure that you do not have an allergic reaction to any of its ingredients. The symptoms of allergic reactions include hives, vomiting, and sensitivity to light. You should come back every other week for x rays so we can check your bones. If you feel severe pain, you should also return," she says, giving me a bottle of pills as a nurse bandages the back of my hand, which is where the IV was attached.

"How often should I take these?" I ask.

"Once every six hours," the doctor says.

"You're free to go," the nurse who was working on me says. I get up slowly and stagger out of the room. My painkillers are working. The ache in my ribs is nothing more than a dull throb. Annabeth looks up, and her grin widens as she sees me shuffle over to her. She walks over and grabs my hand.

"You okay?" She whispers.

"Yeah. Just need to be careful for a while. I'll see if I can get Butch to demonstrate certain things for swim, since I can't really do much until my ribs heal," I say. Annabeth smiles.

"Good. Now if you _ever_ try something like that again, I won't hesitate to rip your arms off," she says, still smiling sweetly.

"Got it. no heroic sacrifices," I say, smiling.

"I'm serious. You could have been seriously injured!" She says.

"Oh god, now you sound like Grover or Juniper," I groan.

"Speaking of Grover and Juniper," she says, twisting a curl around her finger.

"You didn't," I say in horror. She only nods.

"If they weren't looking for honeymoon locations, they'd be here to smack you. They're going to come visit you tomorrow," she says.

"Annabeth, can you watch Percy to make sure he doesn't have an allergic reaction to the medication tonight?" Mom says.

"Uh, sure?" Annabeth says.

"Can we get out of this hospital? They make me nervous," Nico sighs.

"Let's go then!" Paul says. I climb into the backseat of the girls' limo after all of my friends, and I curl up against the window.

"You okay?" Jason asks.

"Just exhausted," I yawn.

"So, can somebody explain what the _hell_ happened while I was gone?" Leo asks, twiddling his thumbs.

"I need to process. Tell you tomorrow?" I mutter.

"Yeah. I guess we should wait until we've had time to process what happened. Maybe we should sleep on it, then see if talking about it might let us heal," Calypso says.

"Cal, you sound like a therapist right now," Nico deadpans, staring blankly out the window.

"Well, my best friend's mom was a therapist, so I probably picked up a lot from her. Anyway, sleepover this weekend?" Calypso says as we pull into her driveway.

"You're on," Piper says.

"See you then, since winter break is coming early while the police investigate what happened. Bye," Calypso says, getting out of the car. It's quiet in the car. Too quiet. An image of those secretaries laying dead on the ground flashes through my mind. Annabeth feels me stiffen, and she says nothing, just squeezing my hand. Piper writes in her songbook, and Jason silently watches as rain splatters against the sunroof. Hazel is drumming her fingers on her jeans, Thalia's texting Nico, who got out of here about two minutes after Callie. Frank is chewing nervously on his thumbnail, and Leo is carefully watching all of us in an effort to make sure that we're all okay. The car pulls into Frank's driveway, and he silently slides out of his seat, stepping through puddles to get into his house. As soon as he disappears from view, Hazel's small smile drops off of her face. Jason holds onto Piper's hand, almost as if he fears that she'll disappear if he lets go. Annabeth looks pale, and absolutely terrified. I can assume that I don't look much better.

"Guys. it's okay. You're alive. You survived. You made it out," Leo says nervously. Hazel looks up, and chokes out a sob.

"You weren't there Leo! You don't know how horrible it was!" Hazel cries, tears streaming down her face.

"So much blood," Annabeth whispers, a vacant expression on her face.

"Hey, babe, look at me. Focus," I whisper, waving my free hand in front of her eyes.

"We heard them _die_ Valdez!" Thalia gasps. Jason stiffens. Piper starts to shake.

"It's all my fault," I whisper. My vision starts to blur. When it finally comes into focus, my friends are gone. Gabe is hitting me, slashing at me with a knife. There's blood everywhere. I think it's mine. I try to run, but I can't. I can't get out of his throwing range. The knife catches me in the small of my back, and I fall. I can't move. Gabe waddles closer. I can't get away. I thought I would be safe when he went to jail, but I was so very wrong. I can never escape Gabe. he will always be looming over me. I can't forget. I may never be able to forget. I shake my head. Everything's back to the way it was, except Jason's gone. _Must have been a flashback_.

"Aquaman? You in there?" Leo says.

"Oh, sorry," I say.

"Anyways, I was asking why you think this was your fault," he says.

"The kidnapper was my ex stepfather. He killed those innocent people to get me to turn myself in. I should have died in that building," I sigh. Annabeth's hand comes up and slaps me across the face.

"Perseus Jackson, don't you _ever_ say something like that again! This is not your fault. Gabe's a monster. And besides, we'd all be heartbroken if you died," she says.

"Yeah Kelp Head," Thalia mutters. Their house comes into view, and the driver pulls into their driveway as far as he can. We get out, trudging through puddles. The snow is finally starting to wash away.

"See you tomorrow," Piper yawns as she walks up the stairs, still writing in her book.

"You guys go to bed. It's been a rough day." Leo says before flopping onto the couch.

"Try not to be too noisy. I need my sleep," Thalia grumbles.

"I'm gonna go call Apollo and tell him what happened," Hazel sighs. Annabeth leads me up the stairs and into her room.

"So what do you wanna do?" she asks, closing the door behind us.

"Well, I don't know," I shrug. Annabeth turns on a radio that sits on the edge of her desk.

"We can't do much. You're injured," she says.

"I know, but it's fine! We could watch Netflix on your laptop, or board games, or-" I stutter.

"Percy, can you do me a favor?" she asks, grabbing the collar of my shirt and pulling me down almost to her level.

"What is it?" I whisper.

"Shut up,"she whispers, before planting her lips on mine. I grab her waist and turn us so that her bed is behind her, there's the crunch of tires on road salt in the distance, but I don't care. Her hands find their way into my hair. I'm running out of air in my lungs, but I don't want to stop. Her tongue swipes across my bottom lip. I can barely hear footsteps over the music playing in the background. Annabeth steps backwards until the backs of her legs hit the bed. She pulls back with a small _pop_ , and our heavy breathing is all I can hear.

"What was that for? Not that it wasn't nice, because it was, but a little explanation would be great," I pant, flopping onto the bed next to her. My hair probably sticks up in every direction, and both of our lips are swollen.

"No reason," she pants, rolling to face me. I smile, because even with messy hair and swollen lips, she's easily the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on. "Why are you staring at me?"

"No reason. You just look absolutely stunning right now," I whisper, grabbing her hand.

"Aww, thanks babe,"she mutters, before kissing the tip of my nose. She curls up into my chest, and I kiss her forehead.

"How does sleeping sound right now?" I ask.

"Eh, I can wait," She says, inching up the bed so that her eyes are in line with mine.

"Love you. Sorry about today," I whisper.

"I love you too," she says, before pulling me back in again. In a small corner of my mind, I'm aware of how bad this could look, since at this point, I'm holding myself up over Annabeth, but the rest of me is too preoccupied with the feeling of Annabeth's lips against mine. There are footsteps on the stairs. _Probably just Leo heading to bed_ , I think as Annabeth wraps her legs around my waist. The footsteps grow louder. Annabeth starts kissing my neck. I bite my lip in an effort to hide my groans. Footsteps are coming close now. Annabeth pulls back, breathing hard.

I lean in and kiss her again. Her eyes flutter shut. The footsteps abruptly stop. _Huh… I guess whoever it was finally got where they needed to go._ The doorknob jiggles. _Oh no_.

"Did you?" I start, breathing heavily. I can feel Annabeth's breath on my lips.

"Mmm, I think I locked it,"she mutters, before I kiss her again. The doorknob jiggles again. _I hope she locked it. How humiliating would it be if someone walked in on us?_

"What on earth is going on here?" A stern female voice says. _Oh shit!_

"Mom?" Annabeth says incredulously.

"I come visit to surprise you, and you're making out with some boy in your bed?" Athena yells. _Oh god why?_ I roll off of Annabeth and turn to face Athena.

"Umm, hi Athena. Happy holidays?" I say, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck.

"Ah, hello _sea spawn_. May I ask why you are in my daughter's room at 10:00 on a school night?" Athena says, her voice deadly calm.

"Uh… school got canceled until the end of winter break, and we were... studying for midterms! Yeah.. studying for midterms," I say, praying desperately that Annabeth can pick up on the lie and help make it more believable.

"Err, yeah! And he started tickling me? I wrapped my legs around him to try and flip him over so I could tickle him in revenge," Annabeth continues.

"Then what's that mark on your neck?" Athena says. _Shit shit shit we've been caught_.

"Silena, the band's official stylist, was practicing makeup and wanted to see if she could create a realistic looking hickey. I was the guinea pig?" I say.

"Yeah! The makeup was that 24 hour eyeshadow. We tried to wash it off, but this is what's left!" Annabeth says.

"Alright. I just wanted to check in on you after today," Athena says.

"Hold up. Did you end the feud yet?" Annabeth says, crossing her arms.

"Annabeth-" Athena sighs.

"No, mom. You end the feud _now_ , or you can stay far away from me," Annabeth sneers.

"Babe, I already-" I say.

"Percy, look. I know you want the feud to end, I want the feud to end, hell, even your father wants it to end! You're a sweet guy, and if Mom refuses to see how much you mean to me, then she doesn't deserve to be in my life," she says, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Annabeth, I can't let you do this. Your mother takes priority over me, anyways. I can work around the feud," I say.

"This is my decision," Annabeth says.

"I- I need time to think," Athena stammers, running out of the room. I hear the front door slam, and I wait a minute before turning back to Annabeth.

"I can't believe your mom bought it? Tickle fights, studying for midterms, the hickey being makeup? Seriously! We pulled that story out of our asses!" I chuckle. Every laugh hurts, but I can't let Annabeth know.

"I know! Like if she actually bothered to think about it, she would have realized that I wasn't laughing, and we were both panting!" Annabeth snorts.

"Honestly, I thought I was going to _die_ of shame right there. Rest in peace Percy, you'll be dearly missed," I say.

"Hey, we actually should try and get some sleep. Sally won't be too happy if I let you go home dead on your feet. Paul already suspects that we're -you know-, and we don't need Sally on that list," Annabeth says, tangling her legs with mine and sighing.

"Good night, Wise Girl. See you tomorrow," I whisper, pulling her into my chest and kissing her forehead. I feel her breathing slow, and I shut my eyes. _Gabe's gone. He won't hurt me. Nobody's going to touch Annabeth. You're okay Percy._ I finally drift off, with a smile on my face, because in spite of everything that's happened, I'm still standing.

(Rachel's POV)

Our car is parked about two blocks away, so we walk quietly up the driveway. The streets are silent. It's three am, so our town is asleep. Hopefully, we can catch some embarrassing pictures of the nerds, and ruin their already suffering reputations. Reyna outright refused to come, saying that her dad was crazy strict and she didn't want to risk it. Khione somehow opens the back gate of their backyard, and we sneak through the melting snow to the back door. Drew removes a pin from her flawless hair, and hands it to me. I pick the lock and we slip inside.

"You go get the pics of Annabitch. Khione, you get pics of the punk chick. I'll take care of the witch girl," Drew whispers. I sneak upstairs, looking forward to humiliating that bratty nerd for daring to touch my Percykins! I hear soft snores from a bedroom. _Who is that?_ I open the door slightly and see that chick who took Valdez out of school yesterday morning, snuggled up to a muscular man. Her hair covers his face, but I can tell that he's the one who's making that noise. _Not who I'm looking for._ I can see a door held ajar by a jacket I vaguely remember to be Percy's. _Oh, SHE gets the jacket after a month and a half, but I dated him for six months and got jack shit!_ I fume. I tiptoe into that room wincing as the wooden floor creaks under my weight. When I look around, I have to shove one of my gloves into my mouth to quiet my scream of rage. On the bed is Annabeth, but she's wrapped tightly around Percy. As she wiggles around, a lock of her hair moves away from Percy's neck, exposing the purple bruise on his throat. _That slut!_ Annabeth starts to stir. I dive into her closet, peeking out nervously.

"Shh, babe, go back to sleep. I'm alive. It's okay," he whispers as she shakes. Annabitch starts crying quietly. _That weak brat!_

"Gabe, h-he got you, and you died before I could save you," she hiccups. Percy sits up.

"It was just a nightmare. I'm right here. See?" he says.

"How long do these things last? I don't know if I can deal with nightmares forever," she sighs, curling up and leaning on Percy's shoulder.

"I don't know. The nightmares never really go away. Eventually you get some happy dreams, but the nightmares never truly disappear. It's been nearly four years since Gabe got locked up the first time, and I still have nightmares about the stuff he'd do to me. Trust me, it doesn't go away, but it gets easier. We're gonna get through this together, okay? We're gonna stick to the plan," Percy mutters, gripping her hand tightly. _What's the plan?_

"I thought that plan went out the window when you nearly died," Annabeth sniffles.

"Nah. You and me against the world, remember?" He says. Annabeth yawns.

"Sorry, just tired," she says, falling back onto her pillow.

"Go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up," he says, curling up next to her. _Honestly, what a clingy bitch!_ I wait until I hear their breaths slow to sneak out. I sneak down the stairs, where Drew and Khione are waiting.

"What took so long?" Khione hisses.

"The bitch woke up," I shrug, as we slip quietly down the street.

"So, what'd you get?" Drew cackles.

"No pictures, but apparently, she hooked up with Percy last night! It was disgusting in there. They were all cuddled up, Annabitch's sweater was halfway off, and Percy had a huge ass hickey on his neck. I honestly gagged," I say.

"Gross! Why would he pick that nerd when he could have had you?" Drew says. _Maybe because Annabeth's not a ruthless bully_ , my subconscious says. I shove that thought down and focus on tearing that bitch to shreds.

"Honestly, she looked _hideous_! Was that hair, or a rat's nest?" I say.

"Well, look at this picture I got of the punk bitch sleeping!" Khione says with glee, shoving her phone into my face. Thalia is sprawled across her bed, with two drumsticks tangled in her hair, and wearing a varsity soccer sweatshirt and a pair of shorts with ghosts drawn all over them.

"Is that _Nico's_ sweatshirt? And are those boxers?" I ask.

"Yep. those are Nico's too. I've seen them on the floor of his bedroom before," Khione says.

"So you think Grace and Di Angelo are banging each other?" Drew asks. Khione nods.

"What'd you get of Hazel?" Khione asks.

"Just her sleeping. She literally did nothing interesting, so I checked on Dumpster Queen, and took these," Drew says, handing her phone to Khione, who busts out laughing before handing the phone to me. Piper's wearing a huge kangaroo onesie, and her laptop is open to Jason's Skype profile, meaning that they were skyping before she fell asleep. Her mouth is open slightly, and she curls around her laptop.

"Oh my god, this is great!" I gasp, holding my sides. My house comes into view.

"Lunch at 1:30?" Drew asks.

"Of course," I say, throwing the door shut and tiptoeing into the 's quiet. Mom and Dad are asleep. _Percy really does love that nerd. Maybe he just has a thing for blondes! Yeah, that's it! He's a blonde type of guy! That's why he dumped me! If I dye my hair blonde, maybe it will win him over!_ Oh, who am I kidding? Percy doesn't want me. He wants Annabeth. _Maybe he doesn't want vapid, shallow brats,_ my subconscious sneers. I push it down. _Dad's alcohol is all in the basement,_ I think. I sneak down there, open the door, and start grabbing as much alcohol as I can fit in my bag. _Drink till I get shitfaced. Forget Percy. Forget those brats who ruined everything. Just move on._ I gulp down the first bottle, and I pry open the second as I sneak up to my room. I turn on the tv, and it's playing a Luke Castellan movie. _He's after Thalia. If he and I work together, we can both get what we want,_ I think as I take my first swig of whatever's in this bottle. I think it's tequila. It tastes nasty, but I want to 1forget my current hardships. The room is swaying back and forth. I collapse onto my bed and gulp down the last of the bottle. The last thing I see before I black out is Percy's stern face. _It's over,_ he says. I feel the floor drop out from under me. I'm falling, falling with nobody below me to help me up.

(Silena's POV)

I wake up with the sun and slip out of the bed. I hear Charlie showering, so I wander down the hallway and check on the girls. Thalia is awake, and watching something on her computer, as Hazel doodles absentmindedly, staring at whatever's onscreen. I keep walking down the hall. Annabeth's door is wedged open with a blue sweatshirt. _That's not hers._ I silently push inside, and nearly squeal with excitement when I see what's going on in there. Annabeth and Percy are wrapped around each other, both with content smiles on their faces. I can see a large hickey on Percy's neck. _Damn! Somebody had some fun last night,_ I think as I walk past Piper in the hall.

"Girl, you need to get Thalia, Hazel, and Leo into Annabeth's room right now!" I whisper. I sneak back into the room, and everyone follows behind.

"That thing's huge!" Leo says. Annabeth sits up.

"Huh, what?" She says, her eyes still shut.

"No, go back to sleep," Percy groans, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back down. _That's adorable._

"Somebody had some fun last night!" Thalia cackles.

"Thalia, can't this wait?" Annabeth groans. At least, that's what I _think_ she said. Her face is buried in Percy's chest.

"Not until you explain what happened to Percy's neck," Piper says. With that, Percy sits up, rubbing at his eyes. He tries to move, over for a bottle of pills on the nightstand.

"You okay?" Annabeth says, watching him choke down a pill.

"It's fine. Really, I'm fine! No need to worry about me!" Percy says.

"So now that you're up, what happened to Percy's neck?" Hazel says. Percy and Annabeth share a look.

"Annabeth kicked me!" Percy blurts out.

"Only because you started tickling me! It was self defense, really!" Annabeth says. _That could actually make a lot of sense._

"Hmm… That doesn't look like the side of a foot," Leo says. Percy's face turns a bit red as he pointedly stares at Annabeth's alarm clock.

"It's almost as if the bruise is really a hickey!" Piper snorts.

"Yeah, you got something to tell us?" Hazel says.

"Wow, look at the time! It's time for me to drop Percy off!" Annabeth says suddenly, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the room as they hurriedly put on shoes.

"See you around!" Percy calls as the front door slams.

"Tickle fight my ass! Something happened in here, and we're going to find out what," I say.

"Wait, there's a security camera on the balcony. At that angle, it should have filmed everything in between Annabeth's laptop and the balcony itself, as long as the curtains weren't drawn!" Leo says.

"I'll go check that feed. You guys go work on whatever you need to do. Get some songs done before the label asks for them. Leo, your brother wanted your help fixing up an old car," I say. We split up, and I head down to the basement, where Argus sits, watching over several cameras at once.

"Hey, Argus, can I have a copy of the feed from the balcony of Annabeth's room last night?" I say. He nods. "Great, thanks Argus! I'll be down to pick it up in three hours!" I say, skipping out of the room and upstairs. _Alright, Miss Chase. Let's see what you got up to_.

(Annabeth's POV)

"That was a close one," I say, drumming my fingers on the wheel as I turn down the long road that leads to Percy's house.

"Yeah. I'm going to have a hell of a time explaining this giant ass bruise to Mom and Dad today. Did you have to make it so huge and noticeable?" he groans.

"Sorry," I shrug. His house comes into view.

"Do you know how awkward it's going to be? I share a house with a seventeen year old guy who has a thing for you, and a five year old boy with _no_ filter! There's no way to hide this thing from my parents!" He says, running a hand through his hair.

"Aww, you're cute when you're worried. Your eyebrows get all scrunched together. Just deny everything, okay Seaweed Brain?" I say.

"Alright. I can do that. If Tyson tells my parents, I'll just tell them that it's from Gabe, and it will fade in about a week," he says. I pull into his driveway.

"Good. I'll go up there with you, since I need to talk to Poseidon about an idea I have to end the feud," I say, turning off the car.

"What's the plan?" He asks, opening the car door and clambering out.

"I'll invite Mom out for lunch while your father is still here, and I need you to get there a couple minutes after us. I'll invite you guys to sit, and you, me, and Poseidon will have to convince Mom to end the feud," I say.

"Hmm, that could work. I'll tell him when he wakes up, because he enjoys sleeping really late," he says as we walk up the stairs.

"Cool," I say. He leans down a bit, and my eyes flutter shut as I feel his breath on my lips.

"Percy's home!" I hear a high pitched voice squeal. My eyes suddenly open, and Percy facepalms.

"Dammit Tyson," he huffs.

"It's fine. I'm used to it. See you on the twenty eighth?" I say.

"Yeah, but you're coming inside first," he says.

"Fine, but I can only stay for a little while. We've got practice, and I need to finish writing a love song for our next album," I sigh as he opens the door.

"Works for me," he says.

"So, Delphin, if we add another 50 ships to our fleet in the next ten years, our annual revenue should increase by 35 percent," I hear Poseidon say somewhere in the house.

"Dad, I'm home!" Percy calls, grabbing my hand and dragging me around.

"Oh, good morning Poseidon!" I say, as we pass by the room where he appears to be on a video call with two men in suits.

"Hello Annabeth," he replies.

"Percy slow down!" I say, stumbling behind him. He lets go of me. Tyson immediately runs at his legs, so Percy scoops him up. "I'll hold him. You don't want to mess up your ribs, do you?" I shrug as I hoist Tyson up and balance him on my hip.

"Hi Annie!" Tyson says.

"Hi Tyson. C'mon Percy, I need to talk to your father," I say, walking into the room.

"Delphin, Oceanus, meet my second son, Percy, and his girlfriend, Annabeth Chase," Poseidon says.

"Hello," I say as Percy waves awkwardly.

"Chase, as in Athena Chase's only daughter?" a man with greyish hair says.

"Yes sir," I say.

"But what about the feud?" A man with oddly greenish hair says.

"Annabeth's been in his life longer than I have. And besides, she makes him happy. That's all I really care about," Poseidon says.

"Now, if only Athena felt the same way," Percy grumbles.

"Hey, we're working on it!" I say, bouncing Tyson up and down.

"Did you see that death glare last night? Or what about before we told her that we were dating, and she threatened to castrate me and feed me to wolves? The sooner we end this stupid feud, the better," Percy says.

"Percy said a bad word!" Tyson calls, hopping out of my arms and running towards the kitchen. Triton walks into the room, gulping down a glass of water.

"Perseus Allen Jackson, you did _what?_ " Sally shouts.

"He called the Athena and Poseidon feud stupid," I shout back.

"Thanks Annabeth," Amphitrite shouts.

"Well, well, well. Look who's out of the hospital," Triton says, ruffling Percy's hair.

"With only 59 stitches and two broken ribs," I say.

"Jackson you gotta stop doing this kinda stuff! I get that you're annoyingly loyal, but you nearly died! If Annabeth hadn't stepped in to stop your bleeding, I would have been down an annoying little brother!" Triton says.

"Triton, I'm only a year and a half younger than you," Percy grumbles. My phone goes off.

"Hey, I gotta get to practice. See you on the twenty fourth? Oh no, wait. Friday, since you're helping me out with Winter Ball," I say, as Percy and I walk towards the door.

"Yeah. See you Friday," he says.

"So, what are we doing for New Years Eve? It's technically our two month anniversary, although you probably want to spend it with your family. If you want to spend it with your family, I'm okay with that. Just let me know in advance," I say.

"Look, I'll come over. You can see the park from your balcony, right? They're holding fireworks there," he says.

"Cool. See you Friday," I say, getting into my car. He waves as I drive away. I see several of my classmates wandering down the sidewalk, chatting animatedly, pausing to look over their shoulders every once in awhile. Their smiles don't quite reach their eyes anymore. I find myself wanting to talk to Gabe, to get some closure for what he did. I cut the engine as soon as the car returns to its normal spot, and I rush inside to grab my songbook and run to practice. When I get there, Piper's laying down on the couch, tuning her guitar as Hazel sits in a large padded chair, warming up on piano. Thalia is rewrapping her hands in an effort to avoid blisters as she breaks in some new drumsticks for the dance. "Okay everyone! Let's get to work! I've got the love song essentially done, and we need to run through our set list. You all want to go out and have fun, right?" I say.

"Yeah. let's get to work," Thalia says as I go through some vocal warm ups.

"Okay, so the love song I have done is called _A Thousand Years_ , and Thals, I didn't have time to write out a drum part yet, but I assure you, you won't have to play drums the entire song, since it's kind of a slow song. Let me know if I need to change anything, okay?" I say.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel, _**All**_ )

Heart beats fast  
Colors and promises  
How to be brave?  
 **How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?  
But watching you stand alone,  
** _All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow.  
_  
 _ **One step closer**_

I have died every day waiting for you  
 _Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you  
_ **For a thousand years**  
I'll love you for a thousand more

Time stands still  
 _Beauty in all she is  
_ I will be brave  
I will not let anything take away  
 **What's standing in front of me  
** _Every breath  
_ Every hour has come to this

 _ **One step closer  
**_  
 **I have died every day waiting for you**  
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you  
 _For a thousand years  
_ I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you  
 **Time has brought your heart to me**  
 _I have loved you for a thousand years_  
I'll love you for a thousand more

One step closer  
 _ **One step closer**_

 _ **I have died every day waiting for you  
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more**_

And all along I believed I would find you  
 **Time has brought your heart to me**  
 _I have loved you for a thousand years_  
I'll love you for a thousand more

"Okay, I think I know where to play," Thalia shrugs.

"Good job Owl Head!" Piper says.

"Listen, I want to go visit my dad today, so can we hurry this up?" Hazel says politely.

"Yeah. I kind of need to visit my father too," I say. Piper's phone rings.

"Hello? Oh, hey Dad. hold on, you got the director to do _what_? And you're going to be here for the holidays? That's great! Oh, yeah. We're okay. Percy broke two ribs and needed, hang on, how many stitches was it, Annabeth?" Piper says.

" 59," I say.

"Okay. Annabeth says it was 59 stitches. And if he ever tries that again, Annabeth's gonna kick his ass. Your private jet is landing at Groton Airpark at ten on Saturday? Well, we've got a performance scheduled for Friday night, but I'll try and get there by then! Bye dad!" she says.

"Okay, so we need to run over our set list, right? We're only performing three songs, then the flashmob," Thalia says.

"Alright," Hazel groans.

(Athena's POV)

I sit on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone. _You're doing this for your daughter. You can do this Athena. I know that this is unpleasant, but you have to do it for Annabeth. Just dial the damned number!_

"Hello, is this Poseidon Olympiad?" I say, swallowing my pride.

"Yes. May I ask who's calling?" he says.

"It's Athena Chase. I wanted to talk to you about possibly ending the feud. Don't get me wrong, I still despise you, but I want to end this for our children. Now that they're uh, you know," I start.

"Dating?" he finishes.

"Yeah. I think that it's in our best interest to put this behind us. Let's meet for dinner tonight to iron out details. Bring Percy, and I'll bring Annabeth," I say.

"Where should we meet? Percy says there's a great burger place about five minutes outside of town," he says.

"Where would that be?" I ask.

"He says he'll text Annabeth the address," he says.

"Great. See you at about 6: 30?" I reply.

"Yep! Goodbye," he says, before hanging up on me. _Do it for Annabeth. All I care about is her being happy. If being with the son of my worst enemy is what makes her happy, then so be it. I've got five and a half hours to get ready to possibly change the fate of my company. I can do this. Eyes on the prize. Annabeth is worth sacrifices._


	15. Starting Fresh

Chapter 15

(Annabeth's POV)

I collapse onto a chair, groaning as I swallow my fifth bottle of water and pop another ginger flavored candy into my mouth. I love the Sirens, and being in a band, but _dear god_ does it strain your vocal cords. Thalia, Piper, and Hazel are sitting beside me, each with their hands submerged in warm water.

"Hey. Apparently my mom's officially ending the feud with Poseidon today, so I have to go with her," I squeak out.

"I never want to hold a pair of drumsticks again," Thalia groans. A piece of candy clacks against her teeth.

"Have you noticed that we don't really spend as much time together anymore?" Hazel asks.

" How about we have a girls day tomorrow? Hazel's right. We're a team. We can't keep being a team if we don't stay close," Piper says.

"Yeah. Hazel, you go visit your father. Nico mentioned that he wanted to see you. It's visitation week for Mom's rehab center, so Jay and I are visiting her. Annabeth, congrats on finally wearing your mother down! Pipes, you can go do whatever you want. If possible, can you go out with Silena to pick up our dresses and things for the awards?" Thalia asks.

"Sure! There's going to be a candlelight vigil tonight outside of the school for the three secretaries. It starts at eleven. Can you all _please please_ try to come? It's the right thing to do, and if we don't, people will turn against us," Piper says.

"I'll go, and if I have to drag Percy out of that awkward family dinner, I will. This is an important time," I say.

"Yeah. Jay will be picking me up in twenty minutes," Thalia says, turning around to face us as she walks up the stairs.

"Cool. We're going to try and be normal tomorrow, okay? No filming, no music stuff, just what we used to do before we went to LA," Piper says. I go upstairs and call Dad.

"Hello?" He says.

"Hi Dad," I say.

"Oh, hi Annabeth! What's up?"

"Oh, we finally wore Mom down! The feud is being officially ended today. Percy and I are being forced to go as mediators," I say.

"Athena's stubborn as a mule! How'd you do that?" he exclaims.

"Uh, I threatened to cut off all contact?" I say.

"I know that you hate the feud, but nearly abandoning your mother? What were you thinking?"

"Percy already told me that! Look, it may not have been the best decision, but it paid off!" I protest.

"Annabeth, it may have paid off, but think about what could've happened if it didn't," he says.

"It was a dumb thing to do, huh?" I chuckle after a moment.

"Yeah, it really was," he chuckles.

"I mean, Percy and I do dumb things for each other all the time! Yesterday, when the school was on lockdown, he willingly gave himself over to our captors so I wouldn't get hurt," I mutter.

"I'm sorry, he did _what_?" he asks.

"Oh, yeah. The people who had us all captive said that they'd kill us if they found out that we knew where Percy was, so Percy snuck out and turned himself in. He got two broken ribs and 59 stitches for his troubles, but he said it was something about keeping me safe," I say.

"I mean, it was a dumb thing to do, but it kept you and your friends alive," he says. There's a loud crash, followed by the sound of Leo and Beck cursing.

"Oh, crap! I've gotta go! Valdez blew something up! Bye!" I say before hanging up. I run downstairs and see smoke pouring into the living room as Leo and Beck stagger out of the garage, coughing.

"What happened?" I ask as Hazel runs into the room.

"Blew a gasket," Leo grumbles.

"Charlie, if you injured Leo I'm going to kill you!" Silena shouts.

"We're fine babe! The car we're working on had a small technical error!" Beck says.

"Just, be careful, okay? I don't want to have to go back to the hospital anytime soon," Hazel says.

"Alright," Leo sighs. The smoke stops coming into the room.

"I think we're good," Beck says. I turn and walk up the stairs and into my room. My phone goes off with a text from Percy, telling me where we're meeting tonight. _I wonder what he's doing now?_

(Percy's POV)

"Hey, Triton," I say as he walks into the room.

"Oh, hi! Have you seen Tyson anywhere?" he asks.

"Mom and Amphitrite took him to the park," I shrug.

"You okay? Your ribs don't hurt too bad and you didn't mess up your stitches, right?" he asks.

"Yeah, but why are you being so nice to me? I thought you were still mad at me," I say.

"Percy, we're brothers. Nothing's going to be able to change that. And besides, if Annabeth makes you happy, I can't be too angry. Disappointed, yes, but not angry. A girl isn't going to come between us," he says.

"I'm still sorry though. I should have told you that I was dating your crush. I guess I was worried about how you'd react," I sigh.

"We interrupt this strange bonding for a special announcement," Grover says, hobbling into the room with Juniper behind him.

"G-Man! Juni! How are-" I start, before being cut off by a punch to the arm.

"What were you thinking! We got a call from your girlfriend telling us that you nearly got yourself killed! We were worried sick!" Juniper says, gripping Grover's hand so tightly that her knuckles turn white.

"Sorry," I shrug.

"Annabeth was actually _crying_! Even when she gets hurt, Annabeth doesn't cry!" Grover says, before laughing that weird nervous laugh that makes him sound like a goat.

" _What?_ I made her cry? I really must have worried her to death!" I say. _Annabeth cried over me. I'll make it up to her. I have to._

"Yeah, but enough about that. How are you doing? Are you in pain?" Juniper asks.

"A little, but I'm fine. I mean, slightly traumatized, but I'm alive. That's what really matters," I say.

"No survivor's guilt?" Grover asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh, three people died, but I survived. Yeah, I feel a bit guilty, but Annabeth already gave me the lecture," I sigh.

"She's right, you know," Triton says, leaning on the door frame.

"What? Who're you?" Juniper asks, whirling around.

"Oh, that's my half brother, Triton. Triton, this is my former babysitter, Grover Underwood, and his fiancee, Juniper Busche," I say.

"So you're the poor sap who had to watch him for years," Triton says.

"It was fun, but Percy and Annabeth were _not_ easy kids. I guess it's alright though, since they did get Juniper and I together," Grover sighs.

"You're welcome for that, by the way," I smirk.

"Percy?" Paul yells.

"What is it Paul?" I ask.

"Can you come here?" he asks.

"What's up?" I ask, stepping into the room.

"Your mother and I wanted to ask you something," he says.

"Okay," I sigh.

"Are you feeling okay after what happened?" he asks.

"Everyone's asking me that. I'm fine, Paul. I'm alright," I say as my phone rings.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Paul asks.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Hello, is this Perseus Jackson?" a male voice on the other side asks.

"Yes, who's asking?" I reply.

"I'm Officer Aeolus. We were wondering if you and a Miss Annabeth Chase would be alright with testifying against Gabriel Ugliano, who is being charged with three counts of manslaughter, one count of aggravated assault, and escaping jail. He's also charged with conspiracy," the voice says.

"Did Annabeth say yes?" I ask, crossing my arms as I hold the phone in between my shoulder and my ear.

"My partner is on the phone with her right now. Mellie, did Annabeth Chase say yes? She did? Great!" He says.

"Alright, I'll do it. When do Annabeth and I have to go in?" I ask.

"The trial is scheduled for February 12th," he says.

"Okay. goodbye," I say, before hanging up. _I wonder what Jason's up to?_

(Jason's POV)

Thalia yanks the door to the visitor's center open and we stumble in. A woman wearing white scrubs walks over to us, clutching a clipboard to her chest.

"Hello! Welcome to Sunrise Detox! Who are you here to visit?" she asks with a blindingly white smile.

"Beryl Grace," Thalia says, cracking her knuckles.

"She's at the table closest to the back door," the woman says, pointing to a table in the back corner, where Mom sits alone. Her face is pale, her hands shaky, and her hair is limp and stringy. Thalia grabs my hand and pulls me over to Mom's table.

"Jason! Thalia! I missed you!" Mom croaks, standing up and hugging both of us.

"So how are you, Mom?" I ask.

"Good. Detox is hard, but I'm managing. How's school? They don't let us contact anyone on the outside," Mom says. I glance over at Thalia. _Do we tell her?_

"Um, a crazed criminal took our school hostage, and three people died," Thalia says nervously.

" _What?_ " Mom asks.

"Uh, yeah. Three secretaries got shot," I say.

"Mom, are you alright?" Thalia asks.

"Oh, I'm fine, it's just I'm confused. Two of my children were in mortal danger, and _nobody_ told me?" Mom says.

"Yeah. you know, somebody should really file a lawsuit about that," I say offhandedly.

"Seriously. That's kind of dangerous," Thalia mutters, picking at her black nail polish.

"Anyways, I feel bad about missing Christmas, so I'll just transfer about a thousand dollars into each of your bank accounts. Buy something nice. Happy holidays," Mom says, before pushing her chair back and standing up.

"Goodbye Mom. See you when you get out," I say.

"Love you. Please, just don't drink anymore!" Thalia sighs. We walk out to my truck and hop back in.

"So, what are you doing with the rest of your day?" I ask.

"I have no plans, why do you ask?" She says.

"Oh, I needed your help with something. You know what Piper likes, right?" I ask nervously.

"Yeah, do you need to get her a present or something?" She asks.

"Yeah," I sigh.

"Okay. She loves this place at the mall that sells graphic tees. Get her one of those. I'll go with you," she responds.

"Thanks. Let's go right now, since I don't know when you'll be free again," I say.

"Cool. And Jay?" She says.

"What?" I ask.

"Don't break Piper's heart, okay?" She sighs.

"We're not even dating!" I exclaim. _But you so want to,_ my subconscious says. _Shut up,_ I tell it.

"Don't act like you aren't thinking about it. I see how you look at her. I've only seen Percy look at Annabeth like that!" She says. _I look like a lovesick puppy dog?_

"Look, I'm working on it, okay?" I say.

"What's taking so long?" She asks.

"I'm scared. She's Piper McLean, daughter of two celebrities and the guitarist of one of the most famous girl groups in the world. I'm just Thalia Grace's brother," I say.

"Jason, don't put yourself down like that! You're not just my brother! You're captain of the basketball team, and so much more!" She says.

"Take away basketball, and I'm just a normal dude who's probably going to live in his sister's shadow for the rest of his stupid life," I grumble.

"Jason, we all get a little self conscious sometimes. Snap out of it, man! You just need to find your thing!" She says.

"Thanks for the pep talk sis, but I really don't think I'm good enough for Piper," I sigh. _You aren't good enough. She'd never go out with you. That kiss was a distraction. Face it Grace. You're always going to be her bandmate's brother. Nothing more, nothing less,_ my subconscious sneers. I try to push that thought down.

"Jason, you alright? Listen, any girl would have to be blind not to notice you. Just ask her out. What do you have to lose?" She says. _Everything! What if she says no? Or she laughs in my face? What will everyone say?_ The mall comes into view.

"We're here," I say, cutting the engine as soon as I get into a parking spot. _Alright. I'm just buying a gift for the girl I like. I can do this._

(Annabeth's POV)

I sit on my bed with my songbook and a large cup of hot chocolate. I shiver a bit, then write out the last chorus of the song I've been working on for two days. _I should probably run through it a few times before showing it off._

"Annabeth? What're you doing?" Piper asks, coming into my room.

"Just finishing up a song. Can you help me run through it?" I sigh.

"Yeah, of course!" she chirps.

"Great!" I say.

( _Piper_ , **Annabeth** , Both,)

 **I can hold my breath**  
 _I can bite my tongue  
_ **I can stay awake for days**  
 _If that's what you want_  
 **Be your number one**  
 _I can fake a smile  
_ **I can force a laugh  
** _I can dance and play the part_  
 **If that's what you ask**  
 _Give you all I am_

 **I can do it**  
 _I can do it_  
 **I can do it**

 **But I'm only human  
And I bleed when I fall down**  
 _I'm only human  
And I crash and I break down  
_ **Your words in my head, knives in my heart**  
 _You build me up and then I fall apart_  
'Cause I'm only human, yeah

 **I can turn it on  
** _Be a good machine_  
 **I can hold the weight of worlds**  
 _If that's what you need_  
 **Be your everything**

 _I can do it  
_ **I can do it  
** I'll get through it

 **But I'm only human  
And I bleed when I fall down  
** _I'm only human  
And I crash and I break down_  
 **Your words in my head, knives in my heart**  
 _You build me up and then I fall apart_  
'Cause I'm only human, yeah

 **I'm only human**  
 _I'm only human  
_ **Just a little human  
**  
 _I can take so much  
_ **Until I've had enough  
**  
 **'Cause I'm only human  
And I bleed when I fall down**  
 _I'm only human  
And I crash and I break down_  
 **Your words in my head, knives in my heart  
** _You build me up and then I fall apart_  
'Cause I'm only human, yeah

"Is it good? Do I need to fix anything?" I ask.

"Nope! Seriously Annabeth, it's awesome, just like everything you write for us!" she says.

"Thanks, Pipesqueak!" I say.

"Oh my god! Is it really four thirty already?" she says.

"What? Oh my god I need to get ready!" I exclaim.

"I'll go pick up our Teen Choice stuff. See you tonight. Try not to have too much fun with Percy, okay?ooh, and I almost forgot, I finished up a song for practice tomorrow," she smirks.

"Pipes, our parents are going to be there!" I say as she runs away laughing. I walk over to my closet and stare at my options. _Casual? We're going to a burger joint, so casual's probably my best option._ Eventually I decide on a pair of ripped skinny jeans, an old shirt with an owl on it that Percy bought me for my birthday last year, and some boots. I pull a beanie over my ears and begrudgingly do my makeup. _I hate doing makeup, but everyone's looking at me. I'd better give them something to obsess over._ The doorbell rings.

"I got it!" Leo shouts.

"Annabeth?" mom calls. I grab Percy's swim sweatshirt off of my chair and yank it over my head as I stumble down the stairs. I readjust my hat.

"Hi mom! Are you ready?" I ask, wincing when I see that she's wearing heels and business clothes.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she grumbles.

"Leo, see you at eleven, right? The vigil's tonight," I say.

"Yeah," he says.

"We should go Annabeth," Mom sighs, before turning and trudging back to her car. I follow and slide into the passenger seat. I put the address of the burger place into her the GPS.

"So, how was your-" I start.

"Listen Annabeth. I don't know why you're so attached to the family of my worst enemy, but I won't ask. I may not like it, but in the end, it makes you happy. That's all I care about," Mom interrupts. We sit in silence for a while.

"I think I see them!" I say, pointing towards two tall black haired men standing in front of our destination.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Mom grumbles, shutting off the car. I stumble out and walk towards the entrance.

"Hey dad, they're here!"Percy says. I jog towards him.

"Hey," I say.

"Hey yourself," he whispers, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and kissing my temple. I hear Mom stop behind me.

"Percy," I mutter.

"She's right behind me, isn't she?" He mutters. I can only nod as he quickly moves his arm away from me.

"Barnacle Beard, " she says. I can practically hear the contempt dripping from her words. Percy slowly starts inching away, taking me with him.

"Is this bad? I don't know if this is bad," he whispers, squeezing my hand. I shrug.

"If this goes south, we run," I say.

"Look Athena. I don't like you, and you don't like me, but can we please at least try to get along for our children?" Poseidon sighs.

"Uh oh. This could go very badly," I sigh.

"By the way, you look nice tonight," Percy whispers. _Aww!_

"You know, you aren't too bad yourself," I say as we lean against the cold brick wall.

"So what do we do?" He says as Poseidon points toward us.

"We try to get through it. I'm starting to think this was a bad idea," I sigh as Mom starts gesturing wildly.

"I've got Dad's keys. We can leave if you want," Percy mutters.

"I'm really debating it right now. We have to see this through," I say, shivering as a bitter wind blows around us.

"Annabeth, you're freezing out here! This has to stop!" Percy says, pulling my hat down lower in an effort to cover my ears more.

"I-I'm fine," I stammer. My teeth are chattering. _So cold._

"Annabeth, don't lie to me," he says.

"-For our children!" Poseidon bellows. Percy winces and wraps both of his arms around me. By this point , I'm wondering if this was worth it.

"Guys, can you stop fighting?" Percy shouts.

"T-this was a bad idea," I gasp.

"That's it, I'm taking you back to the car," He mutters.

"Okay," I whisper. _So cold._ I lean against Percy as he starts staggering towards his car.

"Great, you scared our kids away!" Mom yells.

"Me? This was all your fault!" Poseidon says as I slam the door.

"You okay Annabeth?" Percy says as I rub my hands together.

"I think I'll be fine," I say. The car's starting to heat up. Percy curls up in the backseat beside me, and I stop shivering. I rest my head on his shoulder and start playing with his fingers.

"I'm sorry," He murmurs.

"For what?" I ask.

"Grover told me how much I worried you the other day," he sighs.

"Percy-" I start.

"I just wanted to keep you safe. I know, I know, you can take care of yourself, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you," he says, staring up at the roof.

"Percy, really. I can't let you get yourself killed," I mutter.

"Hey, I'll try to be safer, okay?" he mutters against my hairline.

"Do you think our parents are still throwing down in an empty parking lot?" I ask.

"Don't know, don't care," he says.

"You do know that if _anyone_ gets video of their fight, they're screwed, right?" I say.

"Yeah, but I asked you out knowing full well that our parents hate each other. I can deal with them fighting if it means I can do this," he says, before kissing me. I smile into it and start kissing back.

"You're such a sap," I groan once he pulls away. I hear tapping on the window.

"Ugh, what?" Percy mutters, rolling down the window.

"Do you two want food? Annabeth, your mom left in a rage, so we'll have to take you home," Poseidon says.

"I could eat," I shrug.

"I guess I'm hungry," Percy says.

"You're always hungry! I swear, if I ate as much as you do every day, I'd be the size of a bus!" I say.

"I'd still date you though," he whispers in my ear. I feel myself blushing.

"Are you okay Annabeth? You're looking pretty red," Poseidon says. Percy snorts.

"O-oh! I'm fine! Probably just cold," I shrug, sliding out of the car. Percy slides out after me.

"Nice excuse Wise Girl," he smirks.

"Shut up," I groan, pulling open the door and walking inside.

"Hi, welcome to Five Guys! What will it be?" the boy behind the counter says with a huge smile. I can tell it's fake, but nobody else seems to notice. After working retail for a year and a half and then getting into show business, I guess you get pretty good at seeing when somebody's faking it.

"Two bacon cheeseburgers and a… what would you like, Annabeth?" Poseidon says.

"Oh! A cheeseburger and fries," I say.

"That will be $12. 83," the boy says. Poseidon swipes his credit card and takes the receipt.

"So, what have you been up to all day?" Percy asks.

"Nothin' much. Just working, as usual. You?" I shrug, absentmindedly tapping my fingers to the beat of the song playing softly in the background.

"Grover and Juniper came to kick my ass for breaking my ribs and asked a couple questions. That's pretty much it," he says, subtly covering up his hickey with the hood of his jacket. Poseidon comes over with our food and sits beside Percy.

"So what do we do now?" Poseidon asks.

"Hmm?" I say, dipping a fry into some ketchup.

"About your mother. Her leaving in a hurry kind of throws a wrench into our plan," Percy shrugs, reaching for a handful of my fries.

"Hey!" I exclaim, slapping his hand away. Poseidon laughs.

"What's so funny?" Percy asks before a lopsided smirk flashes across his face. _Oh no. That's his 'I'm going to get in trouble' smirk!_

"Oh no you don't! No trouble! I am not bailing you out of jail again! Do you know how many questions I had to answer after after the band room incident?" I say, before slapping my hands over my mouth. Percy's eyes widen.

"Oh god," Percy mutters.

" _Perseus Allen Jackson, you went to jail? Why?_ " Poseidon says, deathly calm.

"Sorry! It just slipped out!"I say.

"Guys night. Long story short, Leo and I aren't allowed to pick what we do, ever again. It's fine dad, nothing happened!" Percy shrugs.

"And the band room incident?" Poseidon says.

"Oh man, freshman orientation! I tried so hard to forget about that one," Percy says.

"Got separated from the group and found a cheerleader smoking by a trash can. It happened to be filled with papers, and the cigarettes ignited it. Flames singed off his eyebrows. Since the girl was worried about being caught, she tried to pin the whole thing on Percy, who panicked and escaped through a window in the room. I was waiting outside for Percy to get out, so the two of us got hauled off to the station. Luckily, they had no proof that either of us was involved, so they let us leave after about three hours," I sigh.

"That was one of the easiest ones to deal with! At least you didn't have to post bail to get us out!" he chuckles.

"If you don't stop talking, I _will_ tell the whole world about Waterland," I say, trying to stop him from incriminating himself.

" _You wouldn't,_ " he whispers.

"Would I?" I shrug.

"I hate you," he deadpans. Poseidon laughs again.

"You two fight like an old married couple," Poseidon chuckles. I feel my face redden, and I avoid meeting anyone's gaze.

"You know, according to Paul, the district's sending us over to Yancy if the investigation's still going when break ends," Percy says.

"Guess I'll go incognito then," I shrug.

"You've been a member of this town for years. Why bother? Nobody will care," he shrugs.

"I've gone to school with most of the people at Goode since middle school. They know me, so they could care less that I'm famous. The kids at Yancy? I don't know them. I can't quite trust them yet. I don't need another scandal on my hands," I say.

"No way, is that Annabeth Chase?" a teenaged girl says to her friends quite loudly. People turn and stare at us.

"Oh god," I groan.

"I take it that we need to leave?" Poseidon chuckles as I pull the hood of my jacket over my hair and eyes.

"Yep," I say, standing up with our garbage. I walk over to the trash can and shove it in, before making a break for it. Percy follows, and Poseidon walks out after. I pull out my phone and check the time. _7:59_. We've still got nearly three hours until we need to go to school. I climb in the backseat, and Percy crawls in beside me.

"I'm taking you home, right Annabeth?"' Poseidon says, backing out of his parking space.

"Yes sir," I say. My phone rings.

"Ugh, what do you want, Mom?" I groan.

"Annabeth, I know you're upset, but I am your mother, and you should treat me with respect!" she yells.

"I'll treat you with respect when you stop acting like a child! Now what do you want?" I say.

"I was wondering if you needed a ride home," she says.

"No. Poseidon offered to take me home. I don't understand why you hate them," I say.

"I don't understand why you don't!" She says.

"For years, you tried to lecture me about how horrible Poseidon and his family are, expecting that I would go along with it. I want to make my own opinions about people. Poseidon isn't as bad as you say he is," I say.

"You're only saying that because you're in love with his son!" Mom says.

"What?" I yelp.

"You heard me. You're only supporting Barnacle Beard because you're in a relationship with his son!" Mom says.

"My feelings towards Percy have nothing to do with how I interact with Poseidon," I say calmly, before hanging up. Percy pulls me in towards his chest.

"I'm sorry about your mom. I didn't mean to get you into trouble," he sighs.

"It's alright. My mom's angry at me for not hating your family, which I don't understand, since she's known you before we knew you were Poseidon's son, " I huff.

"Beth? Don't worry about your mom for right now. We've been dating for nearly two months without her approval, and I'm willing to wait," Percy whispers. Poseidon pulls into the driveway.

"I'll pick you up at 10:45?" I say, before kissing Percy's cheek and crawling out of the car. Poseidon drives away as I walk inside.

(Nico's POV)

I'm sitting on my bed staring at the old pictures on my wall. There's Green Day blaring from my laptop, but I don't pay attention to it. I stare at the picture next to my bed. It's me and Bianca sitting under a tree, wearing matching toothy grins. Bianca's missing one of her front teeth. _She was so happy when she lost that tooth. I wish she was here._ The picture next to it is of my mother. Her dark hair is blowing around her eyes as she laughs. _I can almost hear it. Her laughter was silvery, or was it loud and raucous? Why can't I remember?_ I remember the box of old home movies under my bed. I dig them out and pop it into the dvd player.

" _Mama! Mama! Look what I found!" a shrill voice says as a small boy with dark hair and dark eyes shows the camera a silver ring with a skull on it._ I look down at my right hand. The ring's still there. I almost never take it off. _._

" _That's lovely Nicolas. Go get your present for Bianca mi ragazzino," she says. Her voice is syrupy, and she talks slowly._

" _Why did we buy Bee presents?" I ask, playing with the hem of my shirt._

" _It's her birthday, mi amore!" She chuckles. I run off, and come back holding a large box, and struggling under its weight._

" _Bianca, can you come here?" My mom calls. A girl with long black hair and eyes hidden by a floppy green hat slides into the room._

" _Happy Birthday Bianca!" I chirp._

" _Is all this for me?" She says, adjusting the brim of her hat so that her eyes show and grinning._ I feel a drop of water hit my knee. I pause the video, and start crying quietly. _I miss them. The crash shouldn't have happened. Bianca should be off at college. Mom should still be here, talking on the phone with her best friends in Italian. I shouldn't be the last Di Angelo alive._ Thalia's smirking face pops into my mind. _I guess it isn't all that bad. If my family didn't die, I'd never have moved here full time, and I wouldn't know all these amazing people. Bianca would have loved the girls. I really wish she got to know my friends._

"Nico?" Hazel says, walking into my room.

"Oh, hi Haze," I sniffle, wiping furiously at my eyes.

"Oh, Nico, what's wrong?" she says, sitting down next to me on my bed.

"I just miss Mom and Bianca," I sniffle. Hazel immediately wraps her arms around me. "They would have liked you, you know," I say quietly.

"Really?" she smiles.

"Yeah. Bee would have loved you. She loved music, and always wanted a little sister," I sigh.

"I really wish I got to meet them," she says.

"Bianca would have been in college right now," I choke out.

"Nico-" Hazel starts.

"She should have lived. I shouldn't have lost two of the people I cared most about in this world. I shouldn't be alone," I choke.

"You know, for almost two years, I raised myself. I always thought I was alone. Then the collapse happened and I thought that I had nobody left anymore. My mom wasn't much, but I at least had a parent. Then I moved up here and found out about you and dad. Now I know that I'm never alone, and neither are you. Wait, that sounds like a good line for a song," she says, before pulling a book out of the inside of her denim jacket along with a purple pen. She scrawls down something and then looks back up at me.

"Nico? Hazel? Can you come here?" Persephone calls. I stagger down the hallway and walk into the living room, where Dad, Persephone, and my step grandmother sit.

"What's up?" I say, pushing my sleeves up my arms.

"You two are too skinny. Eat some cereal," my step grandmother says.

"Alright Demeter. I'll add it to the list," Hazel says sweetly.

"I'm not skinny! I'm in shape," I protest.

"You're more in shape than Leo, but you're still kind of scrawny compared to Jason, Frank, and Percy.

"Well yeah, but have you seen Frank? The guy's built like a tank!" I exclaim.

"True, but he needs it for football," Hazel says.

"So, Hazel, what have you been up to?" Demeter asks, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I'm still playing keyboard for my band," Hazel starts.

"Ah yes, your band. That wastes time. You could use that time for school work," Demeter sneers. Hazel looks like she's about to cry.

"Hey, don't put Hazel down like that!" I say. Hazel sniffles.

"I-I'm going to go home," she says.

"I'll go with you," I reply, glaring at Demeter as I pull on some shoes. Hazel's phone rings. Her ringtone's some upbeat piano music.

"Hello? Annabeth, what is it?" She says. I can't hear what Annabeth says, but Hazel looks heartbroken. "W-what? He's dead? How?" She says, slapping a hand over her mouth and letting out a few choked sobs.

"Who's dead? Hazel, what's happening?" I ask, running over as she falls apart.

"A car crash? Did he at least g-go quick?" She says softly.

"I'll be okay Annabeth. We'll fly out to LA on the jet for his funeral," she says before hanging up. _Good, it's nobody I know ._ She starts to sob loudly.

"Who was it?" I ask, rubbing her back.

"Sammy," she sobs. _I vaguely remember her dating some teen comedian named Sammy while she was in LA. From what I'd seen of the guy on TV, he'd seemed like a cool guy._

"I'm so sorry," I say as she writes out a couple of lines in her songbook, still crying.

"We'd just talked last week. He said he couldn't wait to see me in person at the teen choice awards after all this time. He was my best friend in Hollywood. Now he's gone," she sobs.

"I'm driving you home," I say, grabbing her keys. She curls up in a little ball in the passenger seat and cries to herself as she writes something down. The only sound in the car is her quiet .

sniffles.

"I pull up to her house and she silently slips out of the car and walks inside the house. I cut the engine and walk in after her. Annabeth wraps Hazel in a hug, her eyes rimmed red, and they cry together for a bit. Thalia comes up to me and cries, her eyeliner dripping down her cheeks. She buries her face in my shirt and sobs about how it isn't fair. Piper walks into the room strumming a guitar sadly.. Thalia backs away and looks at Piper.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , Hazel, _**all**_ )

 _Summer has come and passed_  
 **The innocent can never last**  
Wake me up when September ends  
Like my father's come to pass  
Seven years has gone so fast  
 _Wake me up when September ends_

Here comes the rain again  
Falling from the stars  
 **Drenched in my pain again**  
 _Becoming who we are_  
 _As my memory rests  
But never forgets what I lost  
_Wake me up when September ends

 _Summer has come and passed  
The innocent can never last  
Wake me up when September ends_  
Ring out the bells again  
Like we did when spring began  
Wake me up when September ends

 _Here comes the rain again  
Falling from the stars_  
 **Drenched in my pain again  
Becoming who we are**  
As my memory rests  
But never forgets what I lost  
 **Wake me up when September ends**

 **Summer has come and passed  
The innocent can never last  
**Wake me up when September ends  
 **Like my father's come to pass  
** _Twenty years has gone so fast_  
Wake me up when September ends  
 _Wake me up when September ends_  
 _ **Wake me up when September ends**_

"I'm going to miss him. Sammy was always making jokes and making us laugh. It feels weird now that he's gone," Piper says quietly as Leo comes downstairs.

"His poor family," Annabeth says thoughtfully.

"Oh my god! His family! He was their primary source of income!" Thalia gasps.

"I'm trying to work out what to do about that," Hazel says, picking at her thumbnail.

"We could find them jobs at the LA studio, or give them money to help them stay on their feet," Annabeth says.

"I'll call Blackjack and Porkpie tonight. The funeral's on Wednsday," Beck says.

"Who are they?" I ask.

"Pilots. They need to prep the company jet for us," Silena says, pulling open the front door as Thalia wipes off her smudged eyeliner.

"I wanted to go back to LA and visit everyone, but not like this. Never like this," Hazel mutters, getting into the car. I slide in after her, and Thalia slouches next to me. We drive in silence. Each time someone new gets in the car, I can see their expressions of sadness mirrored by my own. Percy says nothing, just clenching his fists. Callie pulls her hood over her eyes. Frank stares blankly out the window. I can tell he's thinking about something, but what, I'm not sure. Leo drums his gloved hands on his pants. Jason runs his hands through his hair and sighs. There's a scratching of pencil on paper as the girls pass Hazel's songbook between them. Each write a bit in it before passing it on. Eventually, Hazel gets it back, and she smiles softly, before slipping it back into her pocket. She pulls a thick wool cap over her hair as Argus pulls into the parking lot of the school. The crowds are huge.

"We can do this," Callie whispers, grabbing a candle from Silena. We all grip them tightly in our hands as Beck lights them. The only light in the area comes from the hundreds of candles, from the hundreds of people from all around the city here to show support. Hazel gasps and clutches her candle with both hands. One by one, we all make our way up to the makeshift memorial for our lost teachers and put our candles down. There's a few teddy bears, a couple bouquets of flowers, and of course, the candles. I shiver in the biting wind. _Their names were Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. They knew me by name. How could I forget their names?_ Percy grabs Annabeth's hand as we move away from the small memorials. He mutters something, but I can't tell what. The entire crowd is staring at the memorial as three men shuffle towards it. Each holds the hand of a bundled up child. _Those must be their families._ A little girl starts to wail in front of the small picture of Atropos. The girls surge forward. The crowd goes silent.

"W-ho are you?" the girl stutters, still sobbing.

"We're here to help you. We all are," Piper says, smoothing down the girl's messy hair. The girl stops crying.

"I miss my mommy," she sniffles.

"Oh, sweetheart," Annabeth whispers, crouching down and hugging the girl. The girl sobs into Annabeth's grey jacket, and Thalia wipes at her eye.

"Sweetie, we all miss your mommy. That's why we're all here," Hazel says.

"Your mommy was one of the nicest people I've ever met," Callie says. The girl cries harder.

"Your mommy wouldn't want you to cry. She'd want you to smile and remember all the happy things. Try to make her proud. Now, can you do that for me?" Thalia says, rubbing soothing circles on the little girl's back. The girl pulls away from Annabeth and slowly nods.

"Good," Annabeth says, getting to her feet.

"Thank you!" The girl's father says as the girl runs back to him.

"It was nothing, sir. We just try and help wherever we can," Piper says. The crowd is silent for a moment, maybe two, when a boy dressed kind of like me starts applauding. _We all call him Anubis, I think. Nobody besides the teachers know his real name._ Eventually, we all join in, and the entire crowd is cheering. The girls walk back over to us.

"Great job Thals," I say, smiling.

"Thanks Neeks," she smirks. I groan.

"I told you not to call me that," I whine. The crowd is starting to disperse, so we start to shuffle back to the limo.

"Guys, want to sleep over? Winter Ball is tomorrow," Piper says. We all nod, and call our parents to let them know, except for Callie. Her dad's away on business so she just uses an app on her phone to lock all the doors to her house. The car pulls up to their mansion, and we all get out. Silena walks ahead of us, so she can unlock the door. We all curl up around the living room and turn on an old comedy. Annabeth and Percy curl up on the couch, with Annabeth's head resting on Percy's lap as he runs his fingers through her hair. Hazel dozes off against Frank's arm, and Frank hesitantly wraps his arm around her. Piper sits next to Jason, and braids her hair absentmindedly. Callie curls up on top of an ottoman, with Leo curled up on an identical one. Thalia and I share a blanket, and she curls up against my chest. Y _eah. Bianca would have loved these guys._


	16. A Cold Winter's Night: Part 1

Chapter 16

(Percy's POV)

I wake up and look down at Annabeth, who's still sleeping on top of my legs. She slowly sits up and groans.

"Good morning," I whisper.

"Hey," she says, getting to her feet. She pulls a pack of mint gum out of her pocket and offers a piece to me. "It's the best we've got for now. We don't have enough extra toothbrushes." I take a piece of gum and start to chew.

"So what're you doing after we all leave?" I ask.

"Well, we're packing up so we can fly out to LA for the funeral, getting our things together for the Ball, and I might be able to squeeze in a bit of answering questions and comments," she shrugs, picking a piece of lint out of her hair.

"You'll be okay, right?" I say. _I can't bear to see her cry. It breaks my heart._

"I'll be fine," she sighs, stretching her arms.

"That's good," I yawn, clutching my ribs. _Every breath feels like my lungs are on fire._

"Percy? Oh, that's right! Your pain medication!" Annabeth says. I groan and nod.

"I don't have it here," I groan.

"We'll have to make do until you get home. I wrote down the name of the medicine you were on in case something like this happened. You can't have aspirin, or alcohol, but you wouldn't do that, right?" She says, scrolling through her phone, before finding some Tylenol and pressing it into my hand. I swallow the pill and smile. Annabeth smiles back. Her smile is blindingly white, and a chunk of hair falls into her face. I push it out, then try to stretch. My ribs protest, and I cringe.

"Ouch," I groan.

"Are you okay?" She asks, grabbing my arm.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm already tired of these broken ribs," I sigh. Annabeth frowns. _No no please go back to smiling! Your smile lights up the whole room. Please don't stop._

"I know it hurts, but hopefully you'll be better in about a month," she says.

"In one month, I can go back to normal," I mutter. Thalia and Piper wake up.

"Oh, good morning! How'd you sleep?" Piper says, sitting up and stretching. Thalia is still hopelessly tangled with Nico. Piper yelps as Jason's arms wrap around her waist and yank her back down. Annabeth giggles from behind her hand, and I snort.

"Jason, let go of Pipes. She's not a stuffed animal," Thalia sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose and trying to untangle herself.

"No, she's warm," Jason groans, stretching out every letter. Piper starts wiggling around in an effort to escape, and in the process, she elbows him in the gut. Jason groans and Piper manages to escape. He sits up. "Oh, good morning!"

"Good morning Jase," Annabeth says as I grab her hand.

"Good morning," Hazel yawns, stretching as she sits up. Her hair looks horrible. It's flattened on one side, and wildly frizzy and messy on the other side. Silena walks into the a pot and a wooden spoon.

"Up! Up! Everyone up!" she says, banging the pot with the spoon. Frank squeaks and falls off the couch in surprise, Nico sits up suddenly as Thalia groans. Leo jumps up and glares at Silena. Callie just groans and covers her head with a pillow.

"Why?" she moans, still holding the pillow over her ears.

"It's time to get up! I have eight hours to do four sets of hair and makeup! There's breakfast on the table, and then Argus will be bringing you all home," Silena chips. We all stumble into the kitchen, where there are huge trays of waffles, bacon, and scrambled eggs. We eat in silence, and then go to grab our things.

"Guys, can you tell everyone who's in on the plan to come to the dance about half an hour before it starts?" Annabeth says as I grab my jacket.

"Okay. see you tonight?" I say, shrugging it on.

"Yeah," Annabeth says, before pressing her lips to mine. I hear Leo wolf whistling in the background. Annabeth pull back and we both roll our eyes.

"Valdez! I need your help with this suspension! You're the only one who can fit under the car," Beckendorf yells from the garage as I walk out the door behind Argus. Nico closes the door behind him.

(Annabeth's POV)

"Okay, girls, we have to be smart about this. While I do one girl's hair, the others will be packing for our flight. I'll start with Thalia and end with Piper. Hazel, you're third, Annabeth's second. Okay?" Silena says. Hazel, Piper, and I lug three suitcases upstairs and start filling them with three days worth of clothing. Silena had pulled four large boxes out labeled 'Funeral Clothes', with each of our names printed on a box. _She really is prepared for everything_. I grab the box labeled with my name, and open it. Piper and Hazel do the same.

"Is this black sweater okay?" Piper asks, holding up a sweater with small grey polka dots.

"Yeah, I think I have a skirt that would work with that," I say, digging through piles of clothing to find a grey skirt, before tossing it to her. In the process I find a pretty black dress and a grey cardigan. I refold them and place them in my suitcase.

"I found an outfit. Now we need to pack our other stuff," Hazel says, tossing clothing back into the box before getting up and walking into her room. I grab some of the clothing from the back of my closet and shove it into my suitcase, along with a pair of black heels and a pair of converse. Thalia comes upstairs. The side of her head with fewer blue streaks has been twisted and pinned back, while the other side has been curled. I shower and toss on an old pair of shorts and one of Percy's old shirts. I walk downstairs and sit at Silena's feet. She starts combing through my hair and I hum a tune as she starts pulling sections of hair back and straightening them. I close my eyes for about an hour or two.

"You're done Annabeth," she says.

"Really? Already?" I say.

"Hazel? It's your turn!" Silena calls. Hazel slides down the railing on the stairs, giggling.

"Your hair looks nice, Annabeth," Hazel says.

"Silena, I'm done packing. What else do you want me to do?" I ask.

"Oh. Umm. I need you to get Leo out of the garage and into his clothes. I don't know if they fit, so I might need to do some alterations," she says. I poke my head into the garage and make sure there's no smoke before stepping inside.

"Leo? Silena wants to make sure your clothes fit. Go shower and try them on," I say. Leo clambers out from under the car and starts walking towards me. I duck out of the way and grab my phone, before heading up to my room. My laptop sits open on my desk. I sit down in front of it and open up my Twitter account. Sammy Valdez's name is trending, and there's an outpouring of support for his family. I realize that I never actually posted anything about Sammy or his death, so I scroll way back through my pictures to find one of him, and I decide to post one of him laughing. His eyes are bright, and you can see the life in them. That's what was so striking about Sammy Valdez. He had an infectious smile, a contagious laugh, and a love for life like nobody I've ever seen. It's hard knowing that he's gone, and we're never going to see him again. I can still remember the last time we saw him.

 _The doorbell is ringing, as I'm trying to read my book._

 _"I've got it!" Silena calls, walking over. "Oh, hey Sammy, what's up?" she says. I put my book down._

 _"Sammy, come in!" I say._

 _"Thanks Annabeth," he says. The rest of the girls come in. Sammy sits on the couch._

 _"What's up?" Thalia says._

 _"Oh, not much. Our friends are going to the club tonight. I said I wouldn't go if you guys wouldn't. Are you in?" He says._

 _"No. alcoholism runs in my family. I can't risk it," Thalia says._

 _"I exist because my parents had a drunken hook up. I'm not having a repeat of that," Hazel says._

 _"My father lives here, and he'd kill me. Count me out," Piper sighs._

 _"I'm out too. Think of how disappointed everyone back home would be," I say, mainly thinking about Percy._

 _"It's settled, then. We're staying in," Sammy says, plopping down next to Hazel. He whispers something in her ear,and she giggles._

 _"You two make me sick," Thalia deadpans._

 _"You sound like Nico," Piper says. Thalia blushes and scowls._

 _"Don't mention that traitor," she growls_

 _"Hey, so I was with my younger brothers and sisters today, and we found this old movie with Elvis in it. It's called Blue Hawaii. Have you guys heard of it?" Sammy interrupts, pulling the movie seemingly out of nowhere._

 _"Wanna watch it?" I ask._

 _"I could use this as reference in case I need 60s inspired clothes for something," Silena says. Sammy pops the disc into the DVD player and starts the movie._ I hear a faint humming sound. _I think it's me._ I think I remember the song from that movie. It's only been covered dozens of times, I open my mouth to sing, but nothing comes out. I try again. My voice is like a croak, but I manage to get the words out.

 _Wise men say only fools rush in_

 _But I can't help falling in love with you_

 _Shall I stay_

 _Would it be a sin_

 _If I can't help falling in love with you_

 _Like a river flows surely to the sea_

 _Darling so it goes_

 _Some things are meant to be_

 _Take my hand, take my whole life too_

 _For I can't help falling in love with you_

 _Like a river flows surely to the sea_

 _Darling so it goes_

 _Some things are meant to be_

 _Take my hand, take my whole life too_

 _For I can't help falling in love with you_

 _For I can't help falling in love with you_

I need to get this under control before tonight. I have to perform. I can't focus on Sammy right now. As horrible as that sounds, I have to push my feelings down until tonight. I plaster a fake smile on my face again. Nobody can know that I'm falling apart inside. _Smile for the cameras, people are always watching. Be strong Annabeth. You should be used to this routine. A person you care about leaves you, and you have to act like everything's just fine. Sound familiar?_ That little condescending voice in my head sneers. _Shut up! Sammy's dead, it's not his fault. The people I care about haven't abandoned me!_ I tell it. I feel the familiar prick of tears in my eyes. _Don't cry Annabeth. Don't cry._ I start to choke up. _Push it down! Athena's kids don't show feelings!_ I start to sob. Malcolm comes in.

"Sis, are you okay?" He asks.

"No. S-Sammy's gone," I sniffle.

"Annabeth, it'll be okay. He's in a better place now," he says.

"Why does almost everyone I care about leave me?" I sob.

"Oh, Annabeth, that's just not true," he says.

"Yes it is! Leo disappeared off the face of the earth, you moved out with Mom after the divorce, Dad was always too busy with his work to pay any attention to me, and Percy and the rest of the guys didn't call for a year," I choke out.

"Annabeth, we didn't leave you by choice. It was just sheer dumb luck," he says. I stop crying.

"God, I'm a mess," I sniffle.

"It's okay to be upset. Your friend died," he says.

"Okay. I'm calm now. I think I can perform tonight," I say.

"What about the twins?" he asks. I curse under my breath.

"I forgot about them. Can you watch them for tonight?" I say.

"Yeah. Have fun at your dance sis," he says, getting up.

"I will. And Mal?" I say.

"What?" he says, turning and running a hand through his curly blonde hair.

"Thanks. You're the best big brother a girl could ask for," I say. He smiles, and backs out of my room.I sit down on my bed and check the time. _Five hours. Maybe I can get some songs written while I wait._

"Lunch is ready!" Silena calls. I chuckle. Then again, maybe not. The life of a superstar is never boring. I run downstairs and sit down at the kitchen table with a plate of food.

(Time Skip)

we pull up to the inn fifteen minutes before everyone else and climb out of the limo. The doors are already unlocked, so we slip inside and wander towards the empty ballroom. My shoes squeak on the tile, and I nervously brush a loose curl behind my ear. I can feel the messy bun on top of my head slipping.

"Hey, you think this place is big enough for what we want to do?" Percy whispers in my ear.

"This stage is just fine. So, how's Sally? Is she still sick?" I ask.

"No, Mom's fine. You know, apparently Triton got into this dance somehow. I guess some poor girl brought him as her date," he says.

"Triton's coming? Why do I feel like Rachel invited him?" I say, climbing up onto the stage and starting to set up.

"You're probably right," Percy sighs.

"Let's hope that Triton doesn't interfere with our plans," Calypso says, staggering past us with a box full of electrical equipment. I sit down on stage, and Percy plops down next to me. We don't say anything, just stare around the room. Leo is offstage, holding up his phone. I close my eyes for a moment.

"Annabeth, do you think pigeons have feelings?" Percy says. My eyes open suddenly. _What?_

"What?" I say.

"Do you think pigeons have feelings?" he says. I laugh.

"Well, umm… hmm. I don't know. I don't think anyone knows," I sigh. The first people walk in. Travis and Connor Stoll shove each other as they come up to us. Percy immediately puts a hand on his wallet and I sit on top of my phone. Calypso walks by, and Travis reaches out.

"Trav, give Callie back her wallet and phone," Percy sighs.

"Ugh, fine," Travis whines, giving back Calypso's stuff.

"How?" Calypso says. More people stream in, and Percy yanks me to my feet.

"Okay guys. So we all know what the plan is, right? Flash mobbing while we perform. To avoid suspicions, we need you to hide your cars and hide from the popular girls. We'll be distracting them with some faked video footage. Leo, what have you got for us?" I say once everyone's here.

"Actually, I had a camera rolling for most of our downtime. I'll be showing that," he says, sitting in the corner with a laptop and several extension cords. Thalia, Percy, Nico, and I pale.

"Ev-Everything?" I say.

"Nah, I edited out some parts and filled it with me doing things. My personal favorite is the huh challenge,"

"That's the thing where you'd insult us and then make a weird noise, right?" Hazel says.

"Yeah," Leo says my phone goes off.

"Okay, my source says that the popular girls and their dates are at Rachel's house taking pictures. They'll be here in roughly forty minutes. Everyone get your cars out of sight, then hide in that hallway to your left. The staff was kind enough to unlock a few of the empty rooms for us to use. Everyone got it?" I say. People turn and dash out of the room, and those girls who chose to wear heels stagger off to their left. I pull my hair out of its bun and smooth it out. Whatever Silena did to my hair before is still intact.

"Mic check!" Leo says. "Annabeth, you first." I sing a few notes, then stop. "Mic one is good," Leo mutters, typing something. "Piper?" He says. Piper strums a few notes on her guitar. It sounds like she's playing a part of one of her favorite songs. Leo gets up and goes to adjust her mic. "Beauty Queen, can you try that again?"

"Okay. should I try singing into the mic too?" she says.

"That's a good idea," Leo says. Piper strums her guitar again and sings some old song.

"The mic's good now. Haze?" Leo says. Hazel plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and sings along. Leo nods. "Thals?" he says. Thalia plays every single drum in her drum kit, and then hits the cymbals.

"Oh yeah, I should probably sing, huh?" she says, before opening her mouth and singing part of some song I don't recognize.

"I think we're good. Guys, let's meet back here in five minutes. Remember, we have twenty minutes to get our stuff offstage after we finish up our set so that the DJ can set up their stuff. Wait, let's meet backstage," Piper says. Percy and I wander outside.

"Sammy would have loved it here. He was like Zoë, always watching the stars," I sigh, staring up at the stars. Since this inn is about three miles from the nearest building, you can see the stars really well.

"Really?" Percy asks.

"Yeah. he lived in the city all his life. He'd always ask us what the stars were like. He'd never seen them before, and now he never will," I choke out.

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry, " he says.

"You know, he once drove out to Sequoia national park and climbed up into the trees, just to see if he could see the stars. Fell nearly fifty feet. Hazel nearly killed him after that," I say.

"He sounds like he was a cool guy. I wish I got to meet him," he says.

"Yeah, he always talked about wanting to drive out here this summer to visit us. Hey, we should get back," I say.

"Alright. Triton and the others should be here soon," he says, getting to his feet.

"Okay. You ready for what could probably be the most awkward school dance in our lives?" I say, as I get up.

"I'm pretty sure Westover was worse." He says.

"I guess it is pretty hard to top me plunging off a cliff and getting captured by criminals," I say.

"We really should go inside," he says.

"You go first. I'll be just a minute," I say, watching as a shooting star streaks across the sky. I know it's childish, but I can't help but make a wish. _I wish for happiness. Not just for me, but for everyone._ I turn around and bump into a black jacket.

"We forgot one thing," a voice says. It takes me a moment to recognize it as Percy's. I take a small step back.

"Oh, and what would that be?" I ask. He runs a hand through his hair, before bending down and kissing me. When he finally pulls back, I see a black car driving down the road towards us.

"Let's go! And Perce, you have a bit of lip gloss smeared on your lips. Hold still," I say, swiping at his lip with a napkin.

"Thanks. We need to get backstage," Percy says, grabbing my hand and turning to open the door.

(Hazel's POV)

I remember when Sammy and I broke up. It was only supposed to be temporary. Until the girls and I graduated high school out here, and while he was in LA, we decided that it'd be best for us to break up, so cheating rumors wouldn't break us up. We'd never actually said goodbye.

 _"Don't say goodbye, Hazel. Goodbye means we're never going to see each other again. We'll see each other again someday, right? Say see you later. It's much happier. I won't forget you Haze. See you next summer," he said, as people clutching their suitcases bustle around. The girls are behind me, each staring sadly at their suitcases._

 _"I won't forget you Sammy," I choke out._

 _"The jet's ready," Annabeth says._

 _"I have to go. See you later," I say with a watery smile._

 _"Until we meet again, mi amor," he says._

We were supposed to go back this summer. I never got to say goodbye. He's gone, and I'll never see my first boyfriend again. _Until we meet again, mi amor. What does it mean?_ Sammy knew I was fluent in Louisiana French, not Spanish! I pull out my phone and look it up. My love? He called me his love? He's gone, and he loved me? I didn't know! Oh my god! I start to breathe a little heavier. _Maybe Google translate is wrong! I'll ask Leo!_

"What's wrong?" Leo asks.

"Leo? Can you translate something for me?" I ask, my voice wavering.

"Yeah, sure. Why?" He says.

"Before I left LA, my ex boyfriend Sammy called me 'mi amor'. Can you tell me what that means?" I say. Leo pales.

"Hazel, mi amor means 'my love.' He basically told you that he loves you," he says. Frank turns red and slams his hand against the wall.

"Oh my god. I have to go to his funeral tomorrow. Oh my god," I whisper. Annabeth and Percy come in.

"Where's the others?" Callie asks, picking at a loose golden sequin. I scratch at the collar of my dress. It was made just for me. Silena knows I love vintage stuff, so she got a vintage style dress made. She managed to pull together different styles together for us. Annabeth's dress is a blue halter necked thing. Annabeth actually loves it, since the skirt is long enough to cover her thighs. Her hair's over one of her shoulders, to cover the scar from when she got jumped in New York. she still won't let Percy forget about that one, since she did it to save him. he had bent down to tie his shoe, and some guy was about to stab him in the back, but Annabeth jumped in front of the knife. Thalia stumbles in, pulling Nico along. Thalia's dress is odd, but it fits her style pretty well. The back nearly drags on the floor, but the front covers only her torso, so she's got pants on too.

"Um, Nico? You've got a little umm... lipstick on your face," Frank says, gesturing to his mouth.

"Oh! Thanks buddy!" Nico says, wiping it off with the back of his hand.

"I swear if Piper and Jason don't show," Annabeth growls. Piper comes in, fiddling with the strap on her embroidered top. Somehow, Silena found an embroidered crop top and skirt combo for Piper.

"I wish I was back in my sweatpants," she grumbles.

"Same," Annabeth says.

"Suits are horrible. I don't understand how people wear these on a daily basis," Percy says. Annabeth's phone goes off. She pulls it out of her top and answers it.

"Hello?" I hear some babbling on the other side, and Annabeth giggles. "Juni, that sounds adorable! Will you have time to get everything together though?" She says. More noises come from the phone. "I already know how to do that, so while the others are learning, I could get those decorations done." She says. I can't hear what Juniper's saying on the other side of the phone. "When you grow up with Athena Chase, classical and ballroom dancing is part of the routine. Of course, I haven't actually waltzed in about three years, but it's easy to remember. Okay Juni. Do you want all of your bridesmaids working on that?" More noises. "Alright. Hey, I gotta go. See you in about two weeks!" She exclaims.

"What do they want us to do now?" Percy sighs.

"Well, waltzing, and the bridesmaids have gown fittings, making centerpieces, planning parties, the usual. Oh! And we all have to pitch in and get those invitations out," Annabeth says.

"I'll tell the other groomsmen. Man, who knew a wedding was this much work?" he says.

"We did sign up for this, but Grover and Juniper are our friends. We're doing this for them, and if I have to decorate fifty candlesticks and learn to waltz for them to have the best wedding possible, I'll do it. Besides, you remember your mom and Paul's wedding don't you?" I sigh.

"I still don't know how Hera snuck those cows into the venue," he says.

"Cows?" Callie says.

"She still sends cows after me. I walked out my front door last year and stepped right in cow poop. I don't even know why. There are no cow farms within twenty miles of this town," I say.

"That's my stepmom for you! She probably hates you since you called her out for hating me," Thalia says.

"Hera has her ways. And she tolerates me because I'm her perfect little blond, blue eyed, athletic stepson. I honestly want to smack her. She's too obsessed with her idea of a perfect family," Jason grumbles.

"There's no such thing as a perfect family, though," Callie says. I hear the doors open, and Drew's commanding voice reaches my ears.

"Where is everyone?" Drew shouts.

"Showtime. Quick, out the back, now!" I hiss. We jog out of the back. Frank is the last one out, and his shoe squeaks on the floor. Leo steps out from behind the curtain. Some people realize what's going on and hear Drew's grating voice. People are coming out of the rooms and flocking towards the door. They go in a couple of groups at a time and pack the place, so it doesn't look suspiciously empty.

"Hello Goode High School!" he shouts. There's loud chatter from the other groups, but It can't mask the booing of the popular kids. I catch a flash of blond hair. Luke? "So, the girls are still getting ready, but I have something to pass the time. Hit it Jake!" Leo says. Pre recorded footage of us starts playing as Frank slowly shuts the door.

"We've got our mics, right?" Piper says as Leo runs out, shutting off his mic.

"We've got one shot to get this right. I've got ten minutes of footage before we switch to live coverage and your pre recorded music. The mob will be meeting out here in five minutes. I really really hope this works, " he says, as the newspaper club and the robotics club work together to attach a camera to the base of a remote controlled car. Annabeth gags and runs for a trash can.

"Hey, you okay?" Percy says as Annabeth stands up straight and wipes her mouth.

"Yeah, just nerves. It's normal. We always carry toothpaste and toothbrushes with us to performances. Really Percy, I'm fine!" She chuckles. Thalia walks into an unlocked and open room. She comes out a few minutes later.

"Drink this slowly and take deep breaths, okay?" She says, giving Annabeth a glass of water. People start trickling out towards us.

"You nervous?" Frank whispers in my ear. I jump.

"N-no! I'm okay! Sorry, you surprised me," I stammer. My face heats up.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to!" He says. People are standing near the other members of their clique, and I sigh. This might be harder than we thought.

"Okay guys, this is only going to work if we all work together. Reyna's distracting the other populars, but we all have to work together. That can't happen if you don't break out of your comfort zone and talk to new people. So please, just try to talk to people outside of your clique. You might have more in common than you think," Piper says. A few brave souls start wandering between groups, and most follow their lead. Pipes did it. She got them to listen.

(Annabeth's POV)

Deep breaths. What did Madame Terpsichore always say before a recital? Breathe in for two, breath out for two. In. Out. In. Out. Pliè and up. Focus. Percy squeezes my hand.

"You can do it. I believe in you, okay?" He whispers.

"Thanks," I mutter.

"Two minutes! Places everyone!"Leo calls, checking his watch. Percy releases my hand and goes to hide with the others. We've split the school into five groups, and Leo's manning the camera with the robotics club. I grip my mic with a sweaty palm.

"Let's do it," Thalia says.

"If this doesn't work, I just wanted to say, I've enjoyed every last second of this. It's been fun," Piper says.

"It's going to work. It has to work," Hazel says.

"Ready?" I say.

"We're live in five!" Leo cries. Alright. Do it for Matthew and Bobby. They shouldn't suffer for liking what they like. Do it for them.. The music starts to play.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , Hazel, **Thalia** , _**Mob**_ , _**Sirens**_ )

Yeah, you may think that I'm a zero  
But, hey, everyone you wanna be  
Probably started off like me  
 _You may say that I'm a freakshow_ (I don't care)  
 _But, hey, give me just a little time_  
 _I bet you're gonna change your mind_

All of the dirt you've been throwin' my way  
It ain't so hard to take, that's right  
 **'Cause I know one day you'll be screamin' my name**  
 _And I'll just look away, that's right_

People have started swarming behind us. I can't help but grin as Percy passes by, leading everyone into position. He winks and smirks as he jogs by. _He's such a Seaweed Brain._

 _ **Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth  
So everyone can hear**_  
 _ **Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down  
Baby, I don't care**_  
 _ **Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out  
You wanna be**_  
 _ **You wanna be**_  
 _ **A loser like me**_  
 _ **A loser like me**_

Push me up against the locker  
And hey, all I do is shake it off  
I'll get you back when I'm your boss  
 **I'm not thinkin' 'bout you haters**  
 **'Cause hey, I could be a superstar**  
 **I'll see you when you wash my car**

All of the dirt you've been throwin' my way  
It ain't so hard to take, that's right  
 _'Cause I know one day you'll be screamin' my name_  
 **And I'll just look away, that's right**

 _ **Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth  
So everyone can hear  
Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down  
Baby, I don't care  
Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out  
**_ **You wanna be**  
You wanna be _ **  
**A loser like me_  
A loser like me  
 _ **A loser like me**_

Hey, you, over there  
Keep the L up-up in the air  
 **Hey, you, over there**  
 _Keep the L up, 'cause I don't care_  
 _ **You can throw your sticks, and you can throw your stones  
Like a rocket, just watch me go  
Yeah, l-o-s-e-r**_  
 _ **I can only be who I are**_

The girls and I stand in the middle of the dance floor, with everyone surrounding us. The populars look sick to their stomach, except Reyna, who's smiling from ear to ear. And giving us a thumbs up. I smile, and wave. I notice Triton glaring at Percy. _I hope nothing bad happens._

 _ **Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth  
So everyone can hear**_  
 _ **Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down**_  
 _ **.Baby, I don't care**_  
 _ **Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out**_  
 _ **You wanna be**_  
 _ **You wanna be**_  
 _ **A loser like me**_  
 ** _A loser like me_**

 _ **Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth**_  
 _ **So everyone can hear  
Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down**_  
 _ **Baby, I don't care  
Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out**_  
You wanna be  
 **You wanna be**  
A loser like me ( _ **A loser like me)**_  
 _A loser like me_ _**(A loser like me)**_  
 _ **A loser like me**_

 _We did it. Oh my god. We did it!_

"A special thank you to the Goode High student body! We couldn't have done this without your overwhelming support!" I say as Piper, Thalia, and Hazel set up their things behind their instruments. I hoist myself up on stage, place the mic back in its stand and prepare myself for our second song.

"We have the privilege of giving you your first slow song of the night, so if you want to dance with somebody, you'd better ask soon!" Piper says, before starting to strum her guitar. People start turning to each other, and I see Drew, Khione, and Rachel try to ask the boys to dance.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , Hazel, **Thalia** , _**All**_ )

 _Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes_

But it's the only thing that I know

When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes

 **It is the only thing that makes us feel alive**

 _ **We keep this love in a photograph**_

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts are never broken

And time's forever frozen still

So you can keep me

 **Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans**

 _Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet_

You won't ever be alone, wait for me to come home

 _Loving can heal, loving can mend your soul_

And it's the only thing that I know, know

 _ **I swear it will get easier,**_

 **Remember that with every piece of you**

Hm, and it's the only thing we take with us when we die

 ** _Hm, we keep this love in this photograph_**

 **We made these memories for ourselves**

Where our eyes are never closing

 _Hearts were never broken_

And time's forever frozen still

So you can keep me

 **Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans**

 _Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet_

You won't ever be alone

 **And if you hurt me**

 _That's okay baby, only words bleed_

Inside these pages you just hold me

And I won't ever let you go

 _Wait for me to come home_

Wait for me to come home

Wait for me to come home

 **Wait for me to come home**

 ** _You can fit me_**

 ** _Inside the necklace you got when you were sixteen_**

 ** _Next to your heartbeat where I should be_**

 ** _Keep it deep within your soul_**

 ** _And if you hurt me_**

 ** _Well, that's okay baby, only words bleed_**

 ** _Inside these pages you just hold me_**

 ** _And I won't ever let you go_**

When I'm away, I will remember how you kissed me

 _Under the lamppost back on Sixth street_

Hearing you whisper through the phone,

 **"Wait for me to come home."**

I wink at Percy for a split second, then turn away from the mic. _One more song_ , I mouth. Thalia shakes her head and points at a cart of DJ equipment backstage. _Plan A_ , Piper mouths. I go over to Thalia and help her disassemble her drum kit and carry it off stage, then go back to grab mics and mic stands. We load them onto the cart and go outside, where Beckendorf is waiting with the truck.

"See you later," he says, before getting in the driver's seat and driving off with our stuff.

"Let's go have some fun!" Hazel chirps,as we walk inside and over to the food table. Frank, Percy, and Nico are all trying to evade the popular girls. Jason and Reyna are chatting calmly in the corner. I see Piper tense.

"Pipes, chill. He's just talking to his ex. He's still into you," Thalia says. Reyna nods in greeting as she passes by on the way to her friends.

(Ms. Aoide's POV)

Annabeth Chase has always been an anomaly. Most kids at this school fit into these neat little boxes that they make for themselves, but not Annabeth or her odd group of friends. They float between circles, and every single one of them is different. Annabeth is smart enough to be valedictorian, loves music enough that she could fit into the Music Nerd Clique, yet she hangs around Percy Jackson, the best swimmer in Goode High school's history, and from what I've heard, a pretty impressive skateboarder. One is almost never seen without the other. Thalia Grace, a noted Punk and Music Nerd, is always with them too. Nico Di Angelo the odd, brooding jock is always sitting with them, and I've even seen them get him to smile. Piper McLean has never fit into any box. She's pretty enough and rich enough to be a Popular Girl, but she rejects the stereotypical standards of beauty, and is certainly a Music Nerd. Jason Grace is the best high school basketball player in the state, yet he's almost as big of a nerd as Annabeth. Hazel Levesque is the shyest girl you'll ever meet, but don't let that fool you. She's a huge music lover, and downright _terrifying_ when somebody hurts her friends. Frank Zhang is the sweetest jock in the school, who will apologize if you bump into him, then feel bad about it for a week. Calypso Ogygia-Atlas is the first student to be added to the group since it formed. She loves to dance and garden, and everyone already acts as if she's been there for as long as everyone else in the group. Rounding out the pack is Leo Valdez, the boy who came back from the dead. Leo's their resident mechanic. If it's a machine, Leo can fix it. He's also the most notorious prankster in the school. Most people stare at these students, almost as if they can't fathom why they'd hang out with each other. But then again, the rest of the school probably doesn't. In the six years I've been here, there has been no intermingling between cliques. Then all of a sudden, those nine show up and flip everything on its head. Cliques fought to admit that year's freshmen, and all joined a clique, except for those nine students. Nobody knew what to make of the freshmen who decided to create their own group, and they were even more shocked when they realized that each one of them were different. The group stayed together for all of their freshman and half of their sophomore year, then tragedy struck when Leo Valdez was presumed dead. The jocks succeeded in pulling the boys away, and the popular girls targeted the remaining four members. The girls left and became the most popular girl group in the country. Now they're back and everything's starting to get crazy again. The group is back together, and the bonds are even stronger than before. One is never seen without at least one other member of the group, and now they are just sitting by the food tables, acting as if they didn't just do the impossible. They act as though they didn't just unify every clique against the popular clique. Travis Stoll, one of the leaders of the pranksters, is dancing with Katie Gardner, the leader of the nature freaks. All the cliques are intermingled except the popular clique, which stands off to one side, turning their noses up as the nerds laugh along with _Percy Jackson_ as he tells a story. Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano smiles softly as she watches the room. Hazel is smiling from ear to ear as Sadie Kane is telling her something. They did it. They might be the ones to dismantle the clique system. Not if the popular clique has anything to say about it. Although Reyna looks pretty happy about it. Maybe she's on their side. Annabeth looks up and smiles at Reyna, who nods in greeting. _What?_ Rachel starts to look at Reyna suspiciously, and Annabeth frantically gestures for Reyna to do something. I don't know quite what that _something_ is, but Reyna picks up on it.

"Let's go dance!" she says, grabbing Rachel's hand and pulling her out onto the floor. Drew and Khione follow, and I quickly lose sight of them in the crowd. Clarisse La Rue, leader of the tough clique, comes out of the throng of people, holding on to Chris Rodriguez's hand. Annabeth and her friends made this possible. _You did good Annabeth. You did good_. Annabeth Chase is an anomaly, but it's anomalies like her that create change.


	17. A Cold Winter's Night: Part 2

Chapter 17

(Percy's POV)

"Percy, come on! Just one dance!" Rachel says, rubbing my arm.

"No! Go bother your date! Look RED, I'm sure you're a… umm… nice girl, but no. I've moved on. Look, I know you really don't like Annabeth for whatever reason, but if you really liked me, you'd want me to be happy." I say. Annabeth walks up.

"Hey," she says, as I wrap my arm around her shoulders.

"Oh. It's you," Rachel sneers.

"Yes it's me. And what is that supposed to mean?" Annabeth says.

"Okay, if you're going to fight, can we move this to the hallway?" I say. Triton nods.

"I don't want to fight, but if she wants to, I'll go out there. It's up to you RED," Annabeth says.

"Let's go," Rachel growls.

"I can't reason with her, can I?" Annabeth sighs as we make our way off the dance floor.

"I can't even reason with her, and she's supposedly in love with me!" I chuckle, pushing open the door. Annabeth laughs. Rachel and Triton are waiting in the bright hallway.

"Let's hope Rachel doesn't try to hit me," Annabeth mutters, squaring her shoulders and marching up to her. I stay back, and Triton comes over.

"So, this is normal for you?" he says.

"Yep. been like this since eighth grade. Annabeth's kind of grown out of targeting Rachel for the most part, but Rachel still tries to get under her skin," I say.

"Why do you want to fight this time, Rachel?" Annabeth sighs.

"You took everything from me," Rachel sneers.

"What? I've never stolen a thing from you!" Annabeth says.

"You stole Percy from me! And everybody likes you more than me! You think I don't see everyone side with you? Do you think I don't know Percy dumped me for you? I thought you're supposed to be some kind of genius!" Rachel says.

"Okay, first off, I didn't steal Percy from anyone. He's not some sort of object. He's an actual human being, and you need to treat him like one. Second, maybe everyone likes me because I don't go out of my way to hurt people. And not everyone likes me. Drew, Khione, Luke, Ethan, and pretty much your whole friend group despises me. Third, nobody, and I mean nobody insults my intelligence," Annabeth says.

"There's not much to insult there," Rachel sneers. Annabeth's hands start to shake and her face starts to turn red.

"Oh no," I groan as Annabeth tenses.

"What?" Triton asks.

"Annabeth's angry," I mutter.

"Oh. Oh," he says.

"Look, if you're trying to get me to fight you, It won't work. I have too much on the line to fight," Annabeth says, gritting her teeth. Rachel sneers.

"You're just worried you'll lose," Rachel mutters as Annabeth tries to walk away. She whirls around.

"What did you just say? I'm not worried I'll lose, I'm just worried about what kind of message fighting would send towards my fans. Unlike you, I had to work for everything I've gotten in my life. I'm not about to just throw it all away," Annabeth says, walking back up to Rachel.

"Oh please. We all know that you're only famous because of that Dumpster Queen's dad. And you've never had to worry about money, what with your mother's company," Rachel sneers, getting into Annabeth's face.

"No, I'm famous because I have an actual talent. And my mother never gave me a cent of that money. she's been investing it all since my older brother was born. So I have worried about money. Having money now means that I don't need to worry about making ends meet, for myself or my family. You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, but not everyone was," Annabeth says, stepping back a bit.

"Shut the fuck up Chase. I will not be talking about this with a freak like you. I mean, what were you thinking? A nerd becoming a music geek? And then dating a jock? Are you crazy? You and Percy have nothing in common, where as Percy and I share almost everything. It's not going to last, and one day he'll dump you and come back to me," Rachel says.

"Yeah sure. I'll go back to you the day Annabeth becomes the Queen of England!" I say. Triton cracks open a can of beer.

"Want one? God knows we're going to need it to get through this," Triton says.

"Nah, give it to Rachel. I don't drink," I say. I take a deep breath as the room starts to spin and change. I feel smaller now, Annabeth isn't here. Gabe's screaming is loud. I wince. Broken glass rains down on me as he hits me again and again with his beer 's not real. Just a flashback. I shake it off and shudder.

"Rachel, my personal life is none of your business. So what I'm dating a jock? If we're both happy does it really even matter? And I'm just doing what makes me happy. At the end of the day, none of this will matter. We're going to graduate and only see each other at reunions. Do you really think that your popularity will hold up eleven years from now? No, it won't. I'm trying to make people remember me for the right reasons. People will remember you, but not in a positive light. Look me in the eyes and tell me why you've targeted me since the eighth grade. I barely interacted with you before that," Annabeth says. It's silent. Rachel marches up to Triton.

"Give me that beer." Rachel huffs. Triton hands her his second can. She swallows the whole drink in one go and then marches back over to Annabeth. "You want to know why I loathe you? Maybe you should take a good look in the mirror,"

"What?" Annabeth says.

"Your ugly ass blonde head is always in my way. You were the roadblock between me and Percy," Rachel says, picking at her nails.

"Are you serious? You hate me because of how close I am with Percy? Need I remind you that Percy's been my best friend since birth?" Annabeth says. Triton takes another huge gulp of beer.

"You've always been in my way! Have you not seen the way he looks at you? Why did he never look at me like that?" Rachel yells. I face palm.

"Calm down Rach!" Triton says.

"I-I can't answer that. But Rachel, maybe if you were a nicer person-" Annabeth says, before Rachel shoves her to the ground. Annabeth hits her head on the wall and cries out. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. I rush over.

"You alright?" I ask.

"Yeah I'll be fine. Let's get out of here before I kick her ass," Annabeth says, getting to her feet.

"Outside?" I ask, opening the door and walking into the packed ballroom.

"Yeah, let's go. I need to calm down," Annabeth says. We walk in silence, and she reaches the exit first. It's dark, cold, and windy outside. Annabeth shivers.

"Oh, do you want my jacket?" I ask.

"N-no I'll be fine," she stammers. Her teeth chatter loudly.

"Beth. Your teeth are chattering. Just take the jacket," I sigh.

"Fine," she says, as I take off my jacket and drape it over her shoulders. She puts her arms in the sleeves and pulls it around herself.

"You know, you look cute in my clothes," I say, before slapping a hand over my mouth. Wow, I have no filter. Her cheeks turn a bright red, and there's an awkward silence. Good going, idiot.

"Thanks," she says.

"Let me know when you're calm," I say.

"Tell me something," Annabeth says.

"Well, um, I got a job? Yeah, starting tomorrow I'll be waiting tables at Demeter's," I say.

"That's awesome! Congrats!" she says as her phone goes off. She pulls it out and checks her email. "Ugh. we've got to learn choreography for the… what? They signed us up to perform at the Teen's Choice Awards without telling us? I swear, I'm going to kill Apollo!" I grab her hands.

"Calm down. You might not like having to perform, but you'll do great. Okay?" I say.

"Okay. I've been thinking about the wedding. Remember the last time we went to a wedding with Grover?" she says. The wind blows her hair around and around.

"The baby blue tux incident," I shudder.

"This time Grover will be married of his own free will, and he won't be wearing a wedding dress. At least, I hope he won't," she says, biting her lip.

"Run! Run!" Grover says, propelling himself forward with his crutches as fast as he can. The huge figure behind us is getting closer. We dive into a bridal and I duck into two separate aisles. Grover disguises himself as a mannequin and pulls on a wedding dress as fast as he can. I end up in a suit, and Annabeth ends up in a bridesmaids gown. We stand in the shop window as quietly as we can. Grover is practically vibrating in fear. The tall man comes in.

"Nice try lady." the man growls. Annabeth tenses. "Where are others?" He says, grabbing Grover's spindly arm. I choke down a laugh.

"They escaped," Grover says, making his voice sound as high pitched as possible.

"Good. You're coming with me," the man says, hoisting Grover over his shoulder.

"Where are we going?" Grover says.

"To this little deserted island, where nobody can hear your screams," the man growls, walking out of the store. Annabeth takes my hand, and we follow him down to the dock. The boat drives away before we can sneak on.

"You know how to steer a boat?" Annabeth says, pointing to a speedboat.

"The keys aren't in the ignition!" I say.

"I can hotwire it," she shrugs, climbing in.

"What?" I say. I get behind the wheel and wait for it to start. When it does, we follow the boat for several days and end up on two islands with a bridge connecting them. The only way up the island besides the way the man went is up this two hundred foot cliffside.

"Piece of cake," Annabeth says, tightening her ponytail and sauntering up to the cliff. I follow her nervously.

"This is not safe," I say.

"It isn't, but this is the only way up to Grover," she shrugs.

"What about the stairs?" I say.

"Seaweed brain, did you hear how much that guy's footsteps echoed on the staircase? We'd be caught for sure!" She says, starting to scramble up the wall. We get about hundred or so feet up when Annabeth slips. Her feet land on my face.

"I didn't want to know what the bottoms of your shoes tastes like," I say as Annabeth gets her feet back into a foothold.

"Sorry!" She says.

"Hey, I can see the top!" I whisper. My fingers are starting to cramp. One of my hands slips off, and I'm left dangling over the rocky surf below. I pull myself up and keep going. When we finally haul ourselves over the cliff, the sun is starting to set.

"Ow," Annabeth moans.

"I don't know how we survived that. I mean, we're in formal clothing!" I mutter.

"We've got to keep going. And are those sheep?" Annabeth says.

"I think they're wearing bones as collars," I say, getting to my feet. I can see a shadow in a cave nearby and smell smoke.

"Any idea where Grover is?" Annabeth says.

"I'm thinking we try the cave with the smoke first," I say.

"We should be careful. That weird guy could be in there," she says, pulling her hunting knife out of her shorts. I pull a couple of pins out of my pocket and pick up a huge piece of bark to use as a makeshift shield. We creep silently towards the cave. Grover sits inside, weaving a wedding veil and hyperventilating.

"Grover?" Annabeth whispers.

"Oh thank god! He's convinced I'm a woman and he's trying to marry me!" Grover whispers. There are loud footsteps outside. Annabeth and I dive behind a pile of bones and watch.

"Are you done with that veil yet?" The man growls.

"No, not yet dearie!" Grover squeaks. Annabeth bites her lip.

"Well, too bad! We're getting married without the veil," the man growls. I glance down at his outfit and have to bite my tongue to avoid laughing. This guy's wearing several baby blue tuxes stitched together to form a shirt and kilt ensemble. Annabeth is shaking with silent laughter beside me.

"Oh, alright," Grover sighs.

"Now!" Annabeth hisses, scrambling out from behind the bone pile. I scramble out the other side and run towards the man, who drops Grover in shock. Grover grabs a huge leg bone to use as a club and runs back to help. I hear a loud scream. Grover's kidnapper has Annabeth by the ankle and is dangling her over a twenty foot drop with rocks below. She's got a huge cut on her forehead. She's still got her knife.

"Annabeth, hold on!" I say.

"Go, I'll be fine!" She says, before stabbing the man in the foot and dropping. I cringe as she hits the rocks with a sickening crunch. The man plucks the knife out and tosses it at my feet. Grover somehow manages to trip him, and I stand over him with Annabeth's knife in my one hand and a pin in the other. His one eye is glassy blue, and the other one is milky with cataracts and brown. I shut my eyes and stab the pin into his blue eye, before running off towards Annabeth. Grover and I get down to her, and I nearly vomit. There's blood all over her dress and she lays as motionless as a rag doll. I cut the hem of her dress off and use it to wrap her forehead. I have a huge gash along my arm so I cut another strip off and wrap my injuries. Then I cut the dress off of her.

"I-is she dead?" I choke out. Grover has Annabeth's wrist and he shakes his head. I breathe a sigh of relief. Grover stands up. Annabeth moans and tries to sit up.

"What happened?" She huffs, clutching her side.

"Annabeth, can you lift your shirt up real quick so we can check your ribs?" Grover says. She lifts her shirt, and I refuse to look at her bra. Her entire side is black and blue.

"We'll need to get this checked out," I say.

"Can you stand?" Grover says, as he removes his dress. I peel off my bloody suit and shudder. Annabeth gets to her feet. We use our discarded clothes to wrap Annabeth's torso and keep it still. Grover and I each grab one of her arms and we walk back to the boat.

"Annabeth, do you think you can hot wire the boat again?" I ask. She nods and attaches a few wires together before curling up on the floor. I get us back to the mainland as quickly as possible and we stagger into the police station.

"What can I do for you kids?" The person behind the front desk says.

"Umm, hi. The three of us were kidnapped a few days ago. Would you mind telling us where we are, and what day is it?" Grover says. I'm essentially holding Annabeth off the ground right now.

"You're in Miami, Florida, and it's July 12th. What are your names?" The receptionist says.

"I'm Grover Underwood, the blonde girl is Annabeth Chase, and the boy holding her up is Perseus Jackson. And how will we get home? We're from Connecticut!" Grover says.

"Also, we really need to get to a hospital," I say. Annabeth moans and nods.

"Hi, yes this is Officer Hestia. I need three ambulances at the Miami-Dade County police station. I've got three kids matching the description of the ones taken in Mystic, Connecticut," the receptionist says. Annabeth's legs buckle.

"Annie, hold on. Help is on the way," I say.

"Don't call me Annie, Percy," she sighs, gritting her teeth.

"Okay, so you aren't completely delirious from blood loss," I say. There are sirens in the distance.

"Ha ha ha. Very funny. I'm in a police station with my idiot best friend, after being kidnapped, and did I forget to mention? It's my birthday! Woohoo! Happy thirteenth birthday to me," Annabeth deadpans.

"Hey, once we get home, I'm throwing you the best birthday party possible," I say. three ambulances pull into the parking lot, and EMTs wheel out three stretchers.

"Percy? Are you okay?" Annabeth says, shaking my arm.

"Sorry. Just thinking," I say, fiddling with my blue tie.

"Okay. I was just wondering if you were alright. I know alcohol was one of your triggers after Gabe. I know Gabe kind of… umm… brought back some old issues? But if you need anything, I'm always going to be right by your side, okay? I love you no matter what," Annabeth says.

"I know, and I love you too. No matter what. I love you so much," I mutter, kissing her forehead.

"But are you alright?" she says.

"I'm okay. Gabe sucks, but I'll make it through. That's what matters," I sigh. Annabeth kisses my cheek and smiles.

"Good. Let's go back to the party," she says, pulling my jacket up onto her shoulders. I smile and take her hand, before yanking the door open. We go back to the dance floor and join our friends.

"Where were you? And why's Annabeth wearing your jacket?" Piper says.

"Err, well, we wanted to hide from Rachel, so we went outside," Annabeth says.

"Where's my brother?" I say, looking around. My phone rings. "Oh great. Dad's calling."

"Hello? Percy?" Dad says as I walk out into the hallway.

"Hey dad. What's up?" I say.

"Your brother isn't answering his phone. Can you please find him and tell him to call me?" He says.

"Okay dad. See you later," I say before hanging up and going back to the ballroom.

"What's wrong?" Annabeth says, yelling to be heard over the music.

"Triton's not answering his phone! Can you help me look for him?" I shout back.

"Sure! Last time we saw him was out in the hallway, so let's start there!" Annabeth shouts. We walk out into the hallway, and start searching.

"Ugh, I think we have to look in the rooms," I shudder. I get to the first door, and slowly open it. Annabeth cringes and peeks out from behind me. Inside the room is a group of nerds playing the game Mythomagic. I sigh in relief.

"Not here. Oh! Hi guys," Annabeth says, waving. She gets to the next door first. The room is dark, so she pulls out her phone and turns on her flashlight. Inside, there are slurping noises and loud moans.

"I really don't want to go in there," I shudder as Annabeth slowly turns the doorknob. Her flashlight illuminates two figures. Triton and a redheaded girl are naked in the bed. I text Amphitrite about Triton and turn away.

"Oh my god! Faster Triton!" A voice moans. Annabeth quickly slams the door shut.

"No way. Is that Rachel?" I say. My entire brain is focused on one thought, and that thought is no. No. Percy, get out of there. Go hang with your friends and your girlfriend. Do not set foot in that room, where your brother is sleeping with your ex. You never even liked her that much anyway. It's always been Annabeth.

"Oh my god," Annabeth huffs.

"Man, am I glad that I never had sex with her!" I mutter.

"You didn't? You were dating for nearly eight months!" Annabeth says.

"Yeah, I was kind of… waiting for the right person?" I say, blushing bright red.

"Aww, that's sweet," Annabeth says, before pulling my face down to hers.

"We should really get back to the party," I pant a few minutes later.

"Yeah. So what about Triton?" Annabeth says.

"I told my stepmom about it, and told her to get dad to call back in an hour or two," I shrug, before pushing the door to the ballroom open. Our friends stand along the edge of the dance floor. Annabeth drags me over to them. Thalia and Nico are talking about their favorite type of music, Piper and Jason are flirting, Frank's dancing with Hazel and blushing, and Leo is talking to Callie.

"Piper?" Jason shouts.

"What is it?" She yells back.

"I was wondering if you'd like to-err- go out sometime?" He says, tugging on his shirt collar.

"I'd love to," Piper says. A slow song starts playing.

"Hey, Annabeth, you get any better at dancing since Westover?" I say.

"Hey, I'm not the one who stepped all over your feet!" Annabeth says.

"Umm, Hazel? Do you want to dance?" Frank says.

"Sure," Hazel shrugs, dragging Frank onto the dance floor. Our friends follow.

"They grow up so fast. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was telling Frank not to chicken out and to ask Hazel out," I say, wiping away fake tears.

"Let's go keep an eye on everyone," Annabeth chuckles. We head out onto the dance floor, and lurk kind of near Hazel and Frank. The music stops, and Frank leans in and kisses Hazel. Yes! I was so right! Success!

"I- I have to go," Hazel says, before running off. Dammit!

"Hazel? Oh crap! Percy can you talk to Frank? I'll go after 'Zel," Annabeth says, before sprinting out after Hazel. I lead Frank off the dance floor.

"Deep breaths buddy," I sigh.

(Annabeth's POV)

"Zel? Hazel? Wait!" I say, following her as she runs off into the woods. We go farther and farther in, and Hazel collapses on top of a stump and sobs. "Oh, honey, are you alright?" I say, squatting next to her. She cries harder.

"No! I really like Frank, it's just, Sammy, you know? It's too soon. I can't move on that quickly," she sobs.

"I get it. Frank really likes you honey. I bet he's willing to wait." I say. My phone rings. "Hello?" I say.

"Hey, did you find her?" Percy says.

"Yeah. Hazel's okay," I say.

"Great. Is she up to talk to Frank? He's worried sick about her," he sighs.

"Haze? Are you alright with talking to Frank? He's really worried about you." I say. Hazel nods."Put him on. Hazel's willing to talk." I give her my phone.

"Oh hi Frank! No it's not because of you! I really like you, it's just too close to Sammy's death. Don't beat yourself up, Frank. It's not your fault that I'm not ready to move on just yet. I'll let you know when, okay? Bye Frank!" Hazel says, before hanging up. She gives me the phone back, and smiles.

"You good?" I say. Hazel jumps up and wraps her arms around my waist.

"Thank you Annabeth," she mutters into my dress.

"We should head back. We've got a long flight in the morning," I sigh.

"Yeah," she says, pulling away. Her eyes are shining with tears.

"We can get through it, okay? We're stronger when we're together," I say.

"I miss him so much. You know, just before we left LA, he told me that he loved me! I didn't know until after he died," Hazel sobs.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry Haze. I had no idea," I say.

(Annabeth, Hazel, Both)

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain  
We all have sorrow  
But if we are wise  
We know that there's always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you're not strong  
And I'll be your friend  
I'll help you carry on  
For it won't be long  
'Til I'm gonna need  
Somebody to lean on   
  
Please swallow your pride   
If I have faith you need to borrow   
For no one can fill those of your needs   
That you won't let show   
  
You just call on me brother, when you need a hand  
We all need somebody to lean on   
I just might have a problem that you'll understand   
We all need somebody to lean on   
  
Lean on me, when you're not strong   
And I'll be your friend  
I'll help you carry on  
For it won't be long   
'Til I'm gonna need   
Somebody to lean on   
  
You just call on me brother, when you need a hand  
We all need somebody to lean on   
I just might have a problem that you'll understand   
We all need somebody to lean on   
  
If there is a load you have to bear   
That you can't carry   
I'm right up the road   
I'll share your load

If you just call me (call me)  
mIf you need a friend (call me) call me uh huh(call me) if you need a friend (call me)  
If you ever need a friend (call me)  
Call me (call me) call me (call me) call me   
(Call me) call me (call me) if you need a friend  
(Call me) call me (call me) call me (call me) call me (call me) call me (call me)

We wander out of the forest and towards the inn. Hazel mutters to herself every once in awhile, and I let my mind wander as we get inside, cold yet hopeful. Percy and Frank come up to us. Percy's got a plate covered in food.

"Oh thank god! I swiped as much food as possible from the food table. Want some?" Percy says as Hazel wanders off with Frank.

"Hell yes! I haven't eaten in hours," I say. Percy laughs.

"You really need to eat more," he says.

"I do eat! I'm just super busy and extremely active!" I say, before shoveling food into my mouth.

"How long are you going to LA for?" he asks. I swallow and stay silent for a little.

"We're flying out tomorrow, and we're coming back on the twenty first. Why do you ask?" I say.

"Just curious. Leo's not going with you, right?" he shrugs.

"Yeah, he's staying with Jase in Thalia's old room," I say.

"I'm assuming you're going to hang with your friends while you're in LA?" he says. Rachel staggers over to us. Her dress is backwards and stained. I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"I'm going to help Rachel. You can handle your brother, right?" I sigh, grabbing Rachel's arm.

"Yep. You really don't have to do this," he says.

"I try to help wherever I can. Rachel might be your ex, and a bully, but she's still human. She doesn't deserve to be humiliated like this." I say, before dragging Rachel out of the room and into the dimly lit hallway. She wobbles as I lead her into an empty room. "Rachel, sit down," I say.

"W-what do you want?" She hiccups.

"I just want to help you. You got something on your dress, and I want to help you fix it," I say.

"I don't need help," she says.

"Rachel, you've got white stains all over your red dress. And when you walked into the ballroom, your dress was backwards. I'm just going to get the stains out and help you put the dress on the right way, okay? I know that you don't like me, since I'm dating your crush, who also happens to be your ex, but you're a human being, with real feelings. I may not agree with you, but I don't want you to be humiliated. Now, go in the closet and take off your dress so I can clean the stains off of it," I say. She does what I asked, and I take the dress into the bathroom. I scrub away at the stains with soapy water and hum a little. They become small enough that they are nearly invisible under the right light, but the dress is damp. The blow dryer! From there, it's pretty easy to dry the stains. I give the dress back and check my phone. Oh! It's been an hour? We should probably go!

"I 'm ready," Rachel mutters, stepping out of the closet.

"Hang on, your dress strap is twisted," I say. she untwists her dress strap and stares at me.

"I don't get it. After everything I've done to you, you still try to help me?" she says, before slapping her hands over her mouth.

"Rachel, I don't pretend to like you. I really don't. You've been nothing but cruel to me for nearly three years. However, I'm trying to start fresh. You bullying me may have been painful, but it made me who I am today. I'm pretty okay with that. I mean, I've pretty much done everything I've ever wanted in my life, because of you. Maybe I'm just trying to return the favor," I say.

"Thanks. But don't tell anyone about this. I have a reputation to uphold," Rachel says. I roll my eyes as my phone goes off.

"I've got to take this." I say, before accepting the call. "Hey, what's up?"

"Wise Girl, is everything okay? You and Rachel have been gone for nearly an hour and a half. People are getting suspicious," Percy says.

"Yeah. We're fine. We were just about to head back. Is that all?" I say.

"Well, no. Nancy Bobofit's here, and she brought Matt Sloan as her date. He's kind of creeping me out," Percy says. I sigh.

"I'm on my way. Don't do anything stupid, alright? Love you," I say.

"Love you too. Bye," he says. I hang up.

"Who was that?" Rachel says.

"Oh, just my older brother. He's watching my little brothers for the next few days, and he's getting overwhelmed," I shrug.

"Your older brother's hot," Rachel says, as I open the door.

"Eww. Just eww. he's my big brother. I never want to hear that about him again," I say. We make our way back to the ballroom, and Rachel goes back to her friends, who glare at me. Rachel shakes her head. I keep walking, and find Percy. He's slouching against the wall, looking around. His face is set in that brooding look he always has.

"Hey babe," he says.

"Hi. You know, Rachel isn't as terrible as I thought," I say.

"Good. Uh oh, Sloan and Bobofit coming in at two o'clock," He says. I turn around. Oh great.

"Hi Nancy," I say, plastering on an obviously fake smile.

"Chase," she says, nodding respectfully. Percy tenses up.

"Oh, hey Sloan. I thought you dropped out," Percy says.

"Nance here brought me back. Was everyone always this friendly with each other?" Sloan says.

"Nope. But we're working on it," I shrug.

"You look decent, man. How's the no school life been treating you?" Percy says.

"Good. It's a little boring, but I do keep busy," Sloan says.

"That's nice. So I'm assuming you remember my boyfriend?" I say.

"Yeah. I remember Prissy," Sloan says.

"Okay, so moving on," Percy says.

"Matt and I just wanted to talk to you two. What's the secret to a healthy relationship?" Nancy says.

"Well, Percy and I may not be the best people to ask, since we're both completely clueless idiots, but mainly him," I say.

"Hey!" Percy says, elbowing me in the side.

"It took us five years to actually get together, but I digress. The key to having a healthy relationship is having someone you can depend on. Don't get into it if you don't trust your partner not to cheat. That's huge," I say.

"I'd go with communication? But I don't really know. I'm kind of new to the whole healthy relationship thing," Percy sighs.

"Thanks," Nancy says.

"You know, Jackson, you aren't half bad," Sloan says.

"Gee thanks. And Sloan?" Percy says.

"What?" Sloan says.

"Try and make some new friends. Annabeth told me about the guys you were hanging around the last time she ran into you, and they don't seem to be a good influence," Percy says.

"I will," Sloan says, before he and Nancy walk away.

"That was weird," I say, burying my face in Percy's chest.

"You okay?" he asks.

"I guess. I just miss Sammy," I say, as he wraps his arms around me.

"I didn't know Sammy, but I'm still going to be here if you need anything, okay?" He says, before kissing my forehead.

"I know. When I get back, how about we have a date night? We don't really have to go anywhere. We could just watch movies or play video games or something," I say, pulling away.

"You're on," he says. I smile.

"I'm so gonna kick your butt." I say, crossing my arms. Percy just stares down at me with a small smile on his face. "What, do I have something on my face? Why are you staring?" I say.

"Oh, just thinking about how lucky I am to have a girl like you," he says. I blush bright red, and tap my blue and silver nails on my arm. I can't meet his eyes.

"I still can't believe how clueless we were," I giggle.

"Well, we're making up for lost time," he says.

"I'd like to invite everyone here out on the dance floor for one last song," the DJ says. I grab Percy's hand.

"Hey. I found out where Gabe's being held, if you wanted closure. I know you probably don't want to see that monster again, but just let me know," I say.

"Let's get out before the crowds," Percy says. Thalia and Nico come up to us.

"Are we leaving?" Thalia says.

"Unless you want to be stuck in traffic," Percy says.

"Alright. Meet outside. We need to find the other six," I say. Thalia and Nico go to look for the others.

"Pipes and Jay are dancing in the middle of the floor. How do we get to them?" Percy says.

"We're going to have to slow dance in towards them. Cmon," I say, dragging him towards the floor.

"Aww man," he whines. He and I make our way next to Jason and Piper.

"Guys! Make your way outside ASAP! We wanna avoid the crowds!" I whisper, swaying to the beat.

"God, I hate slow dancing," Percy mutters.

"Oh shush. We're almost done," I say, before kissing the tip of his nose. We make it to the edge of the dance floor before making our escape. Thalia and Nico walk by with Frank and Hazel. Luke's hot on their trail.

"Where are Leo and Callie?" Percy says.

"We'd better find them quick," I say.

"I see them!" he says, pointing to the food table. We get them outside and we climb into the limo. I curl into Percy's shoulder and play with his tie.

"Bye," Nico says, before kissing Thalia goodnight and shuffling up the steps of his front porch.

"I want closure. I'll go visit him when you're back," Percy whispers in my ear. He blows hair out of his face, and I smile.

"See you when you get back from LA," Jason says, after kissing Piper's cheek. He walks calmly towards the door, where Leo waits. Piper practically swoons. I yawn as we pull into Percy's driveway. His lips brush against my forehead.

"Call me if you need anything. Love you," he whispers against my forehead. I nod, and he gets out of the car, taking the stairs two at a time before disappearing into his house. I grin and stare out the window for the rest of the ride. I'm so tired. I get home, change into pajamas, wipe off my makeup, and go to sleep.

I'm back at school, alone. I hear screaming and cracking. I tiptoe into the office. There's more screaming.

"Stop! Gabe I didn't do anything!" An anguished voice wails. There's a crashing sound. There are coughs and groans, and the smell of blood hits me.

"Percy?" I mutter, rushing in. He lays crumpled in a heap on the floor, with Gabe over him.

"What are you doing, girlie?" Gabe sneers.

"Annabeth run, it's not worth it," Percy coughs. Blood covers his body. Gabe hits him again with the beer bottle.

"Stop! You'll kill him!" I sob, rushing over to Percy. He's picking broken glass out of his stomach. "Percy, hold on," I sob.

"I don't think I can make it out of this one," he coughs.

"No, don't talk like that. We can get you to the hospital," I say.

"It's too late," he mutters, reaching for the side of my face. His eyes are glassy.

"I should have gotten here sooner," I say.

"Don't blame yourself. Move on. I love you," he says.

"I love you too," I sob, brushing his damp hair out of his face.

"Good. Tell my mom I'm sorry," he says, before he goes limp.

I sit up in bed, breathing hard. It was just a dream! Or was it? I should call him. I grab my phone off my nightstand and dial his number with shaky hands.

"Hello?" he says. His voice is groggy.

"Oh thank god. You're okay. Sorry. I'm just having a bad night," I sigh.

"Gabe again?" he says.

"Yeah. The nightmares came back. I just feel stressed and afraid all the time now," I say.

"We survived. We're alright, okay? I can't help much where I am right now, but it's going to be alright. We're going to get through this together. I gotta go. Love you," he says.

"Love you too. Bye." I say. He hangs up, and I wrap myself in my blanket and stare at my ceiling. Tears are pooling in my eyes. It's silent, almost as if the house itself is asleep. It's okay. We're alive. Percy's alive. Everything's okay. Gabe is in jail. We can make it out of this place. We're okay. Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. My heart pounds in my ears. What always helps me feel better? I grab my songbook and a pencil. I let the tears fall onto my blanket and papers. There's a knock on my balcony window. I look up to see a shivering figure. I flick on the lights. Percy stands awkwardly on my balcony, carrying a plastic shopping bag. I let him in, scrubbing furiously at my eyes in an effort to hide my tears from him.

"Woah, are you crying?" he says.

"It's been hard," I say, looking at my socks.

"Hey. Remember what we'd always do when one of us had a bad day?" he says.

"Yeah. Ice cream and movies," I chuckle.

"Well, I bought two pints of your favorite: chocolate fudge brownie. We need to eat this pretty quickly," he says.

"Thank you so much!" I say, snapping a picture of him.

"No problem. You're my best friend. Do you really think I wouldn't cheer you up?" he mutters.

"Wanna watch Zoolander?" I say, grabbing my laptop. He shrugs.

"Sure, why not?" He says. I start up the movie and grab a pint of ice cream.

"Do we have spoons?" I say, popping off the lid. He passes me a spoon.

"I know it's hard now, but things will get easier, okay? Gabe's gonna get locked up forever, and you and I are going to graduate. We're going to be just fine," he says in between spoonfuls of ice cream.

"Yeah. We're going to make it out of this, and I'm going to become an architect, and you're going to do whatever you want in life-" I start.

"It looks like I'll be inheriting Dad's company now. Triton's too unpredictable," he says.

"Is that what you want?" I ask, with my head on his shoulder.

"I wanted to go into marine biology," he says.

"Then you're going to become a marine biologist, and we're going to finally get our happy ending," I say.

"Yeah. We're going to get our happy endings," he mutters,dozing off. I smile. He still drools in his sleep. I finish off both containers of ice cream and curl up with my face buried in the crook of Percy's neck. He smells like the ocean mixed with candy. It reminds me of home, back before fame, before Rachel, back when it was him and I, eating cookies on his couch and watching Disney movies. I didn't know how much I'd miss being a normal girl, with a mundane life. Maybe that's why I find myself drawn to him. He makes me feel normal again. I feel butterflies in my stomach every time he kisses me, and when I'm with him, I feel like an average teenaged girl. He makes me feel like my old self again.I hope my happily ever after involves him.

my alarm goes off, and I jolt awake.

"Ugh, it's too early to do this," I sigh. Percy groans and rolls over, covering his ears with a pillow.

"Turn it off," he groans. He's speaking slower than normal, like he does when he's tired. I throw the alarm clock across the room. It hits the wall and smashes.

"Oops?" I say.

"I gotta get home before my parents notice I'm gone," he says. It's still dark outside.

"Okay. Thanks for yesterday," I say.

"No problem," he says, lacing up his sneakers.

"Let me know if you want anything from LA, okay? I love you," I say, as he walks out onto my balcony. I go out with him.

"Love you too," he says, before kissing my forehead and climbing over the railing. I wave as he runs off, and wait until he's in his car driving away to go inside and start getting ready. I toss on a pair of beat up sneakers, some leggings, an old Goode

High debate team shirt, and a huge sweatshirt with an owl on it. I tug my lucky Yankees cap over my mess of curls and stumble downstairs.

"Good morning," I yawn, sitting in the kitchen with an apple. The girls are all around me, eating. Hazel's eyes are puffy, and it looks like she cried herself to sleep last night. Thalia plays with her bracelet and tucks a can of mace into her pocket. Piper's bangs are tangled and her hair is noticeably 's weaving black feathers into her braids.

"Hey. You look oddly chill," Thalia says.

"Oh, Percy stopped by-" I said.

"It's literally five in the morning. How'd he get here? More importantly, why was he here?" Piper says.

"I had a rough night, and he brought me ice cream. It was sweet," I say.

"That's adorable," Thalia says.

"Pipes, what's with the hair?" I say.

"Oh, it's a Cherokee tradition. Whenever a loved one dies, you cut your hair shorter as a sign of mourning. I did it for Leo's funeral, and I'm doing it for Sammy's," she says.

"Well, it looks good on you," Hazel says.

"So back to Annabeth. What even happened?" Piper says. I hear footsteps on the stairs.

"Well, you know how I've been having flashbacks and nightmares about the hostage situation, right?" I say.

"Yeah," Hazel says.

"So, i had a bad nightmare last night, and I ended up calling Percy to make sure he was, y'know, alive, and he calmed me down a little. I didn't want to go back to bed, so I was up writing, and I heard this knock on my balcony door. Percy came in with this bag. It had two pints of my favorite ice cream and two spoons," I say, gesturing with my hands.

"He snuck out of his house at the crack of dawn to bring you ice cream and cheer you up? Damn, he must really love you!" Thalia says.

"What? Percy was where?" Silena says.

"He snuck out to cheer me up at like midnight?" I say.

"Aww, that's adorable," Silena squeals, ushering us towards the car.

"How long did he stay?" Piper says, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I dunno, he was here four or five hours?" I shrug. We help shove our suitcases inside, and climb in. Beckendorf and Silena clamber in after us. Hazel pulls out her songbook and starts writing. Silena has earplugs in, and a sleep mask over eyes. Beckendorf has his earbuds in and he stares out the window.

"Annie, you're hopeless," Thalia sighs.

"Don't call me Annie," I sigh, running my hands through my hair.

"Your boyfriend, aka your first and only crush, was over for four hours, he brought you ice cream, and you didn't sleep with him? Are you crazy?" Piper says.

"No! We've only been dating two months!" I say.

"After crushing on each other for years. I don't understand what you're waiting for," Thalia says.

"Well, umm. We haven't exactly talked about it yet," I say.

"The way you two are all over each other? I highly doubt that," Piper says. Her tongue pokes out of her mouth in concentration as she adds another braid to her hair.

"Look, my decision to sleep with my boyfriend is not your problem. It's my choice, and I'll make it when I feel ready, okay?" I snap.

"Good point, Owl Head," Thalia says.

"Yeah, you're right. I went too far," Piper says.

"It's alright. When it happens, you'll be the first to know," I say, closing my eyes. I zone out for a while, lost deep inside my own head.

"Oh! We're here!" Hazel says. I look up to see one of our label's private jets, sitting out on the tarmac. We get on, and I shout a quick greeting to Blackjack and Porkpie as I take my seat. I settle in, and the plane takes off. Hazel clutches her songbook like a lifeline.

"So, we need to talk," Piper says.

"What's new with you guys?" Thalia says.

"Well, umm… I confessed to Frank?" Hazel says.

"That's awesome! Congrats!" Piper squeals.

"Umm, Nancy Bobofit and Matt Sloan asked me for relationship advice. Nope, saying it aloud doesn't make it any less weird," I say.

"That is very odd. Two of our greatest playground tormentors asked you for relationship advice? Granted, you and Percy are literal goals-" Piper starts.

"We are not goals!" I interrupt.

"He's your first friend, first crush, first kiss, first boyfriend, and first love. If that's not teenage relationship goals, honey, I don't know what is," Silena says. Beckendorf sleeps against the window. I can see a small town below me. The sun is rising. I chuckle nervously.

"Well, umm," I start.

"Just accept the fact that you and your boyfriend can run circles around us all when it comes to relationships," Thalia says.

"Don't talk like that. You and Nico seem to be pretty into each other," I say.

"Sure? But we're still getting used to dating each other. You act like you've been dating Percy for years," Thalia says.

"Thals. Percy and I are weird. You and Nico are perfectly fine. Each relationship is different. Is being with Nico the same as being with Luke?" I say.

"No… being with Nico makes me have butterflies in my stomach, and my heart starts to pound, and I can't stop smiling. Luke made me feel drained, almost as if he was siphoning my energy," she says.

"That's how you know that it's good," I sigh.

"What's wrong?" Piper says.

"I just- I just miss him already. And it's weird, because I know where he is, and I know he's okay, but I miss him. I never thought I'd be so attached to him, but I am, and that's terrifying. I can't imagine my life without him anymore," I say, pulling a book out of my backpack.

"It's not weird Annabeth. He's the love of your life, and quite literally your dream guy. It's okay to miss him. You're going to be away from him for the longest time since you started dating. We're going to be home in a few days, okay? You'll see him soon," Silena says.

"Thanks," I say, opening my book and starting to read. I hope Percy's okay.

(Percy's POV)

I open the front door, and slip quietly inside. The light turns on. Shit.

"Young man, where have you been? I woke up hours ago, and you were gone! We talked about this Percy. No sneaking out to go to parties," my mom hisses. She's sitting in the recliner, wearing an old, ratty robe. Her face is twisted into a frown.

"Mom, I didn't go to a party! After all alcohol did to me growing up, do you really think I'd go out and drink it?" I say.

"Then where were you?" she says, before taking a sip of her drink.

"Annabeth's," I shrug. She spits her drink out.

"Percy, I understand that you and Annabeth have been dating for two months, and that's a long time for a high school relationship, but seriously? You snuck out to have sex with your girlfriend?" She whispers. I feel my entire face heat up.

"What? No! That's not even something we've talked about! Annabeth was having a pretty bad night, since she has to go to her friend's funeral today, so I snuck out to go cheer her up!" I say.

"I don't trust that," Mom grumbles.

"Annabeth called me at around midnight, crying. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before going to make sure she was okay," I sigh.

"So, what did you do?" Mom says, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I bought two pints of her favorite ice cream, and we sat in her room watching movies and eating it," I say. Mom coos.

"You really love her, don't you?" she says, getting to her feet. My phone buzzes.

"I really do," I grin. I love that girl. I don't know why she chose me, but I'm glad she loves me as much as I love her.

"I can tell. You have the dopiest, little heartsick, lovesick grin on your face anytime you talk about her. It's kind of adorable," Mom says. My face heats up even more, if that's possible.

"Well, umm," I stammer, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Relax, Percy. I think it's sweet. Plus, I so called it," she says.

"Yeah, you did. You somehow knew I liked Annabeth before I figured it out," I chuckle, before I head up to my bedroom. Tyson wakes up when I flop onto the bed beside him.

"Percy? W-where were you?" he yawns.

"Not important. Go back to sleep Tyson." I sigh, grinning. I hear him start to snore a little, and my phone goes off. Triton. I answer the call.

"Hello?" he slurs.

"Ugh. It's five thirty in the morning. What do you want?" I groan.

"Can you pick me up from Rachel's house?" He slurs.

"Goddammit Triton. You've got to stop doing this! What if she gets pregnant? You've been doing this for, what, three weeks?" I say, sitting up.

"Don't tell Mom or Dad," he slurs.

"Alright. I'm on my way," I sigh, stumbling downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Mom says.

"Picking up Triton. He got drunk off his ass again," I say.

"Watch your language," she says.

"Sorry," I say.

"Where is he?" she says.

"Rachel's place. Again," I sigh, grabbing my keys.

"Be careful," she says, as I head out. The drive is quiet, and I pull into Rachel's huge driveway. Only her beat up Mercedes is in the driveway. This makes it easier. I hop out of my car and walk up to the front door. I ring the doorbell and stand there, shivering in my sweatpants. The door swings open.

"Percykins!" Rachel giggles, clutching a half empty bottle of tequila.

"Hey RED. Where's Triton?" I sigh.

"He-he's in the bathroom to your left. Come-hic!- in!" she hiccups, stepping aside. I walk in and try the doorknob. It's unlocked. Triton is sprawled on the ground beside the toilet, with his head on the seat. His shirt is missing, and the ends of his hair are matted with vomit. Nasty!

"Oh, hey Percy," he says before retching. I look away.

"Triton. We've gotta go. Dad gets up at six thirty every morning. It's five fifty. If you want to be back on the couch before he wakes up, we need to leave now." I say, glancing at my phone. Triton gets to his feet and stumbles towards my car. "Rachel? Is everything okay? You've been acting weird lately." I sigh, as Triton pukes in a bush outside.

"Well, umm. I might be pregnant, but I don't know. You've got to help me," she says.

"Okay, wait a few days, and take a pregnancy test," I say, wiping her matted hair off of her forehead.

"Thanks. You're a good guy. A-Annabeth's a lucky girl," she slurs.

"Thanks, but I'm the lucky one. Go to sleep. You'll have a hell of a hangover when you wake up," I say, before walking outside. Triton is leaning on my car. I get in, and help Triton get situated before driving home. I help him lay down on the couch with a blanket, and put a tray on the coffee table with some pain meds and some food. I climb the stairs and lay back down on my bed. As I lay there, I start to laugh into my pillow at how insane my life has become over the last few months. I'm dating a pop star, my mother's pregnant, my ex might be pregnant with my brother's kid, what else? Oh yeah, my girlfriend's mom hates me, I realized just how much I love Annabeth, I broke my ribs, and the school year isn't even over yet! I think back to what Annabeth said this morning, about getting our happy endings after all this insanity, and I smile. As long as she's by my side, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be happy.

(Annabeth's POV)

I stand in front of the mirror, and pull my black dress over my head. It's got these little sheer stripes on the skirt. I wish that I didn't have to do this. I pull on my black heels and tug my hair into an updo. My bangs are slightly too short to stay back, so I leave them out. I put on my gray jacket and frown at myself in the mirror. My nails don't have to be repainted, because they're navy blue and silver. I bite my lip and put in my earrings before walking calmly out of the bathroom. Piper is sitting at Silena's feet, getting her hair French braided. Thalia is tugging on her shirt, and spraying hairspray all over her low bun. Hazel comes out of the bathroom, tugging on the collar of her dress. Her eyes are glistening with mushed tears, and a few fall to the ground as she bends to put on her shoes. Piper stands up and dusts off her skirt. Silena puts on her shoes before helping Beckendorf tie his tie.

"Let's go," Silena says, grabbing the keys to the rental car. We all climb in, and drive to the funeral home in silence. We find a place to park about five minutes away, and we walk towards the funeral home. I stop in front of the doors and take a deep breath.

"Let's do this thing," I say, pulling open both doors.

 **(A/N: hey guys! long time no see! sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I hit a few road blocks, and decided to publish some of my other projects. hopefully I'll be quicker with the next chapter, but in case I don't see you guys, happy holidays, happy new year, etc. if you don't celebrate anything, well, umm... have a nice few weeks? thanks for sticking with me. GG over and out. (God, I missed doing that with this story!))**


	18. The Girls are Back in Town

Chapter 18

(Annabeth's POV)

We take our seats quietly, and as close to Sammy's family as we can. The room is noisy, and I can hear people talking about what a tragedy this was. _Oh he was so young. That poor boy. He had a whole life ahead of him._ We walk up to the front and look at Sammy's body. Hazel claps a hand over her mouth to quiet a sob. His wild curls are greased down, his skin looks plastic and fake, and his hair is parted in a way that Sammy would _never_ allow. It's a bit jarring. Of course, we _knew_ he was dead, but knowing and seeing are two very different things. We sit back down. A couple of our friends from LA sit around us.

"I wish you guys were back under better circumstances," Somebody mutters. I grimace and nod.

"It's going to be weird without Sammy here," Kayla says. I glance back at her. I can tell that she had dyed her hair recently. It's still bright green, and it's the only color in the room besides Thalia's blue streaks.

"Where's Paolo?" Piper says.

"Hi," Austin says, somewhere off to the right.

"I had to drive Austin, but I have no idea where Paolo and Lester are," Kayla says.

"Oh yeah. I always forget that Austin's too young to drive!" Hazel says.

"I can get my permit next month," he grumbles, slouching beside me.

"How much are you willing to bet that Les overslept and Paolo is helping him get ready?" Kayla whispers. Paolo and Lester walk up.

"Hey guys. Long time no see," Lester says. Paolo nods.

"It's been umm, how you say? _Chato_? Without you girls here," Paolo says. Kayla types something on her phone, and looks up.

"Paolo, chato means boring in English. Nice job! You almost got through a full sentence," she says.

"So how's the New England life been treating you?" Lou Ellen says, as Paolo and Lester sit down.

"It's good. Being back home and seeing everyone is nice, but sometimes I miss it here, and seeing all the normal people makes me wish I were normal again, you know?" I say. The door creaks open. Luke stands in the doorway, panting. Thalia sinks down low in her seat.

"Isn't that the same suit he was wearing last night?" I say.

"Who cares? He _can't_ see me!" Thalia hisses.

"Is this seat taken?" Luke asks, pointing to the empty space on the bench beside Thalia.

"Why are you here?" Thalia says.

"Just paying my respects," he says.

" _Bullshit_. You _never_ liked Sammy. Now tell me the truth. _Why_ are you here?" Thalia hisses.

"Fine. You got me. I just wanted to see you. Can we talk?" he says. Thalia starts laughing.

"Talk? You want to _talk_? After cheating on me and breaking my heart, you want to _talk_?" Thalia says.

"That's just ridiculous," Piper says, picking at her nails.

"Get out of my sight Luke. And don't you _dare_ beg to get me back. I'm happy with my current boyfriend. If you ruin that, well, you can imagine what sort of _unfortunate_ accidents could happen," Thalia says, smiling sweetly.

"Get out of here Castellan, or I'll fight you again," I say, cracking my knuckles.

"You'd lose without your little boyfriend. What's his name? That dumb swim captain? Oh yeah. _Jackson_ ," he sneers.

"Leave Percy out of this!" I say.

"Castellan, Annabeth can beat you with one hand tied behind her back," Hazel says. A stray curl flops into her face. I get to my feet and start stepping towards Luke, scowling. He gets the right idea and runs.

"That was easier than I thought it'd be! I didn't get blood all over my manicure," I say, going back to my seat.

"So. We've got to catch up after the service. Apparently we've missed a _lot_ ," Lester says. The preacher walks up to the pulpit, and the room goes silent.

"Friends, family, we are gathered here to mourn a boy taken from us far too soon. Samuel Leonardo Valdez was a bright star, a treasured son, a beloved comic, a much loved older brother, and an irreplaceable member of our community," the preacher says. I let my grief wash over me and tune out his sermon.

(Percy's POV)

I park in the employees only section of the parking lot and brush a piece of lint off the shirt of my uniform. I hop out of the car and walk nervously into the back entrance of Demeter's. I clock in, grab an apron and make sure my name tag is pinned to my shirt. The apron has a blue notepad and a pen in the pocket. _Okay. I can do this._

"Percy! You're on table fifteen!" A waitress calls. I go up to table fifteen and realize it's a group of four teenage girls. _Alright. I can work with this_.

"Welcome to Demeter's! I'm Percy, and I'll be your waiter for today. Can I start you off with any drinks?" I say, smiling.

"Four iced teas please," one girl says, biting her lip.

"Sweetened or unsweetened?" I say, glancing down at her face.

"All four sweetened," the girl says. A red drop spills out of her mouth.

"Um, I don't know if you've noticed, but your lip is bleeding. Anyways, I'll be right back with those iced teas." I say, walking away. I feel eyes on me. "Four sweetened teas!" I call, grabbing a clean tray.

"How's the first day on the job?" Zia, one of the waitresses, says.

"The girls at table fifteen were staring at me, and one of them bit her lip so hard that she drew blood. So, pretty great," I say, grabbing my silver tray. Zia laughs.

"Good luck Percy," she says.

"Here are your drinks. Have you decided what you want?" I say, grabbing the drinks and putting them in front of each girl.

"I'll have the chicken Caesar salad," the girl with the bleeding lip says.

"Can I have the steak frites?" one of the other girls says.

"I'll take the crab cakes," a third girl says.

"Can I have a BLT?" The last girl says.

"how would you like that done?" I ask.

"Medium well," she replies.

"Okay. So I have a chicken caesar, steak frites, crab cakes, and a BLT done medium well. Is that all?" I say.

"Yeah," The girl with the cut lip says. I walk away and go back to the kitchen. I clip the order to the line and stretch.

"Percy! Table two!" A waiter calls. I sigh and go back out.

"Oh come on! You _so_ like our waiter!" One of the girls at table fifteen says.

"Do you want him to hear?" The girl who bit her lip says. _What?_

"Welcome to Demeter's. I'm Percy, I'll be your waiter for today," I say.

"Percy? I didn't know you worked here!" One of the freshman on the swim team says.

"Oh, hey Cecil," I say, waving.

"Who's this, son?" A tall man with salt and pepper hair and Cecil's blue eyes says, giving me a suspicious glare. I sigh. _Everyone automatically gets suspicious of me. I'm totally harmless! Well, mostly. I know how to fight if I have to._

"You must be Mr. Markowitz," I say.

"Dad, this is Percy Jackson. He's the captain of the school swim team," Cecil says.

"So can I get you anything to drink?" I say.

"What do you recommend?" Mr. Markowitz says.

"I'm personally a big fan of the blueberry lemonade, but everything's pretty good," I say.

"I'll take a blueberry lemonade. Cecil, what do you want?" Mr. Markowitz says.

"Oh, um I'll have a Sprite please," Cecil says.

"Coming right up!" I say. I go back to the kitchen and grab a tray. "A blueberry lemonade and a Sprite!" I call.

"Percy? Table fifteen's order is done!" One of the chefs says. _Oh crap! I hate lunch rush!_ I help him load the plates onto my tray and carry them to table fifteen.

"Okay, so I've got a chicken Caesar salad, steak frites, crab cakes, and a BLT medium well. Do you need refills?" I say, putting each plate in front of the person who ordered it. The girls shake their heads and laugh. One bats her eyes at me but I ignore it. A baby wails at table twenty seven. I roll my eyes as I get into the kitchen.

"Table two's drinks," Zia says, helping me load them onto my tray.

"I'm like ninety nine percent sure that the girls at table fifteen are flirting with me, and it's really creeping me out," I say.

"Aren't you dating Annabeth? And are you _sure_?" Zia says.

"Yeah. And when my ex was trying to hit on me, she'd do the exact same things," I say.

"Milk em for tips. You got this job because you need cash. I won't tell Annabeth if you won't," Zia says.

"Thanks Z. You really do like Annabeth, don't you?" I chuckle.

"Yeah, she's a cool girl. Very humble. Now get out there," Zia says. I go out to table two and give Cecil and Mr. Markowitz their drinks.

"Sorry about that. The lunch rush slows us down a little." I say. "Do you need more time to order?"

"Yeah," Cecil says.

"Okay. I'll be back in about ten minutes," I say.

"That waiter is cute," I hear one of the girls at table fifteen say as I clear tables. I walk past them, and wink. _Annabeth's going to kill me, but I need the money._ I head back to the kitchen, and Zia passes by, clutching a table's bill in her hands.

"How long before you have to go back out?" One of the chefs says.

"Four minutes, why?" I say.

"I need you to taste test something," the chef says.

"Okay, what is it?" I say.

"Demeter wanted us to try and incorporate some Greek culture into the menu, so we've got halibut cooked in tomatoes and onions," the chef replies, holding up a small fork. I take it and try the fish.

"It's good. Nice job. Looks like we've got another famous dish coming," I say, before turning and leaving the kitchen. I go back to Cecil's table. _It's gotta be about nine in the morning for Annabeth. I hope she's alright._

(Annabeth's POV)

"If anyone else would like to say a few words about Sammy, raise your hand," the preacher says. I hesitantly raise my hand.

"You, miss? Come up to the pulpit," he says, pointing to me. I go up there and clear my throat.

"Um, hello? I'm Annabeth Chase, and Sammy was a friend of mine. I don't know if you knew this about him, but Sammy loved the stars. According to Ancient Greek mythology, when a hero died, the gods would place them among the stars for all eternity. Well, I don't know if that's true, but Sammy Valdez deserves a place among the stars. He may not have been the strongest, or killed any monsters, but he's a hero all the same. As our friend Piper always says, 'being a hero doesn't mean you're invincible. It just means that you're brave enough to stand up and do what's needed.' By that definition, Sammy was a hero, and he'll be a hero for as long as there are people to remember him. Thank you," I say. I back away and give a reassuring smile to Sammy's mom. Hazel shuffles towards the pulpit and sighs.

"Hi. For those of you that don't know me, I'm Hazel Levesque. Sammy was my ex boyfriend. We broke up the day I moved back to my hometown. We didn't want to put each other through a long distance relationship. We were still friends, and we said we'd give it another try when I graduated. I still can't believe he's gone. The day before he umm, you know, he was talking about coming to visit us over the summer, and we were planning what we were going to do when we came back to visit. Well, I always wanted to come back to see Sammy and everyone, but I never imagined that it would be for this. Sammy always loved to make us laugh, and he dedicated his life to cheering up the masses. We have to carry on doing that. For Sammy's legacy. So go out, make a child smile. Make somebody laugh. We owe it to Sammy. Sammy may not be here with us anymore, but he's always in our hearts, and as long as we live like Sammy lived, helping others, then Sammy _is_ alive. His legacy lives in every single one of us. Make him proud," Hazel says. She steps away and shuffles back over to us. The pallbearers close the coffin lid and lift it up to load it into the hearse. One of Sammy's little sisters starts to sob. A few tears make their way down Hazel's face. We follow them out and get into our car.

"That was a beautiful service. Also, you need to have someone pick you up from the airport. Charlie and I have to stay for another day for a conference with the label on how you've been doing," Silena says. Beckendorf starts the car and we follow the hearse to the cemetery. We park down the hill with the others and stagger up to the little plot for Sammy. We stand out there as the pallbearers bring him over. They hook him up to the little winch that's going to lower him into the grave. It's somber. The preacher does the final part of his little speech thing, and Sammy's mother turns on the winch. It becomes even more emotional, and soon almost everyone is crying. I squeeze Hazel's hand and let my tears fall. I grab a handful of dirt and toss it onto the coffin along with everyone else. One of Sammy's brothers tosses an old baseball mitt into the grave and we start shuffling down the hill.

"We need to talk. My place in an hour?" Kayla says.

"Okay. you still have the same address?" I say.

"Yeah. we really need to catch up," she says, before she and Austin walk towards her car. Paolo is sitting on the hood of Lester's car, waiting for him to find his keys. I give a half hearted wave and climb into the rental van. The drive back is silent. I get into or hotel room and peel off my outfit, pull my hair out of its updo, and throw on an old pair of ripped jeans, a tank top, and put my grey sweater back on. I trip as I try to slip on my shoes, and my head hits my suitcase.

"Oww!" I say.

"Annabeth, you okay?" Thalia says from where she's changing in our bathroom.

"Yeah, I just tripped," I say. Thalia comes out of the bathroom and sits on the bed to lace up her boots.

"Okay. let's get Piper and Hazel and head out," she says. I grab the key to the room and put it in my wallet before we head out the door and down the hall to the other room. I knock.

"Oh! You're just in time! We were about to go get you!" Piper says, opening the door. Hazel peers out from behind her, clutching the key in her hand. We walk the twenty minutes to Kayla's dad's house in near silence. I listen to the buzz of the busy city and frown. What once used to feel like home now feels cold and alien. It's too loud compared to the quiet of suburbs. There are too many people. _I used to love it here._ I remember how much I loved that when I first came here. After years of small town, slow suburban life, being in a huge city was thrilling. Now that I'm back, it's all too much. I miss the close knit families, the lazy days spent at home with my family and friends, the warmth of someone holding my hand. _This feels wrong._ Thalia looks as miserable as I do.

"Hey. You look upset. Are you okay?" I say as she shoves her hands into the pockets of her ripped jeans and kicks a pebble with the toe of her boot.

"I just miss Nico. Which is just weird. I'm Thalia Grace. I don't act this weird with guys," she says.

"I get it. Nico's your boyfriend. It's difficult to be away from them for so long, especially the first time. Do you think that I don't miss Percy like crazy?" I chuckle.

"No. Nico's picking me up from the airport, and I can't _wait_! You heard nothing," Thalia says.

"Relax, you weirdo. I'm not telling anyone that you sometimes gush over your boyfriend. Can I tell you a secret?" I say. She nods. "I do the same thing sometimes." I shrug.

"You do?" Thalia says.

"Yeah. I do," I say as we walk towards the door. Piper knocks.

"Oh, come in! The guys will be here in twenty minutes! I thought we could talk first?" Kayla says, opening the door.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I say, following her into her living room.

"I was just curious about how your lives in the suburbs have been going," she says, taking a seat.

"Oh, it's been okay. It's quiet. The paparazzi is starting to fly back to LA, which is nice," Piper says.

"People are typically pretty chill around us, since they've known us for years. Of course, there are the kids from the other side of town, but it's okay," Hazel says.

"And apparently Annabeth has a boyfriend," Kayla says, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, Percy? I guess. You want to see a picture of him?" I say.

"Sure," Kayla shrugs. I scroll through my phone and find a picture of him leaning against a tree with his skateboard.

"This is Percy," I say, giving Kayla my phone.

"Ooh, He's kinda cute!" She says.

"Oh, I forgot! Do you want to see a picture of Nico?" Thalia says.

"Who's Nico?" Kayla says.

"He's Thalia's boyfriend. And Hazel's brother," Piper shrugs.

"Oh wait. I just realized that if Piper and Jason and Thalia and Nico get married, Thalia's going to be related by marriage to both Piper and Hazel. And then there's me," I say.

" _Woah_. We might all be related! Except Annabeth. She might get into Poseidon's family, along with Rachel," Thalia says, before showing Kayla a picture of Jason and Nico. I shudder.

"Gross. My high school bully as my sister in law. Ick. I've already been traumatized enough thanks," I say.

"You literally turned green there. What did Rachel do?" Piper says.

"Percy and I… well we kinda walked in on Rachel and Triton," I say, shuddering.

"They were-" Thalia starts.

"Why were you and Percy even there to begin with?" Piper says, wiggling her eyebrows.

"No! It wasn't like that?" I say.

"Like what?" Hazel says, raising an eyebrow. I feel my face heat up.

"Look, we were looking for Triton because he wasn't answering his phone and Poseidon was getting worried. I've already told you! We haven't-" I say, before the doorbell rings. _Oh thank god._ Kayla gets up and answers the door.

"So Thals, have you and Nico-" I say, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Eww! That's my brother!" Hazel says. Thalia blushes bright red.

"Oh my _god_. _Shut up_ ," Thalia says.

"Now you understand how it feels," I say.

"Oh shut up honorary aunt," Thalia says, as Kayla comes back in with the boys.

"Is it my fault that I won't be part of your weird family? Oh wait, yes it is. But I'm cool with honorary aunt. Percy, Leo, Callie, maybe Frank, and I are honorary aunts and uncles if that happens, and that means I don't have to worry about showing up for Thanksgivings and holidays," I say.

"Honorary aunts? What'd we miss?" Austin says.

"Thalia's dating Hazel's brother, and Piper's borderline dating Thalia's brother. I'm dating a guy that's not related to any of them. So if they get married, I'm an honorary aunt on both sides," I shrug.

"I need pictures of these guys," Lester says.

"Do we have any pictures of the guys together?" Hazel says.

"Oh, I have one!" I say, stopping on a picture of us in the park. Percy and I are in the front. Percy has the selfie stick, and I'm kissing his cheek. He's got a goofy grin on his face. Thalia and Nico are just behind us, rolling their eyes and holding hands. Beside them is Jason and Piper. Jason has a huge grin on his face, and Piper is smirking at the camera as Jason carries her. In the back is Hazel and Frank. Hazel is on Frank's back, and both are sticking their tongues out. Leo's leg is wound around Jason's waist and Callie is trying to pull him off. I show it to Kayla, Lester, Paolo, and Austin. Kayla laughs.

"Oh! Ele é bonito!" Paolo says, pointing to Percy.

"What?" I say. Paolo taps on his knee, thinking of the translation of his words.

"He… is… cute? Acho que está certo," Paolo says awkwardly.

"Thanks. That's my boyfriend, Percy," I say.

"Little Annie finally landed herself a man!" Lester says, ruffling my hair. I frown.

"Yeah, so I'm doing better than you, Les," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Dang, that's cold," Austin says, fiddling with one of his cornrows. Lester looks absolutely scandalized.

" _Rude_ ," Lester says.

"It's true. I've not only got a boyfriend, but I've got a _cute_ boyfriend." I snicker. My phone rings. "Speak of the devil." I answer it.

"Annie pass the weed!" Lester screeches. Paolo and Austin are moaning, and Kayla's beating her hand on the wall behind her.

"LA friends?" Percy sighs.

"Yeah. Don't worry, they're just being assholes. How was your day?" I say.

"Well, Tyson ate too many cookies and threw up in my bed, which I didn't find out until I got _in_ my bed," he says.

"Oh, that sucks. So, what's up?" I say.

"Well besides Tyson, I've just been dealing with Grover and wedding stuff. Grover is panicking over tuxes. I don't even know what I'm doing," he says.

"How do you think I feel? Juni keeps sending me pictures of things she wants us to make and pictures of bridesmaids gowns. God, I'm in so far over my head here! I know music, not flower arrangements!" I say.

"I'm sure you'll look beautiful in your bridesmaids gow- Triton can you _not_ puke in front of the fridge?" Percy says.

"He's hungover?" I say.

"Oh my god, you have no idea. I think he had at least one and half bottles of tequila last night. He's still vomiting, and I _don't_ know how. He hasn't eaten all day," he says.

"Hey, I gotta go. Talk later?" I say.

"Okay." He says, before hanging up.

"So. any new music?" Kayla says.

"Well, I wrote a song in Sammy's honor," I shrug.

"So did I. I was thinking we perform it during our segment at the Teen Choice awards," Hazel says.

"I'm cool with sharing mine now. It's called _We'll Be the Stars_ ," I say, rifling through my songbook until I find the page. I open my mouth and sing:

 _We are young, we are gold.  
Trying things we didn't know.  
Looking at the sky  
See it come alive_

 _All our fears became our hopes  
Climbed out every locked window  
We rode a lion´s mane and fell upon the rain  
We can reach the constellations  
Trust me, all our dreams are breaking out_

 _No, we're never gonna turn to dust  
Yeah, all we really need is us  
Don't be scared to close your eyes  
No, we're never gonna die  
We'll be the stars_

 _Oh, no, we're never gonna step too far  
Yeah, we're holding on to who we are  
When it's time to close our eyes  
They'll see us in the sky  
We'll be the stars_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
We'll be the stars  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
We'll be the stars_

 _Let me in, hold me close  
Fill my heart with simple notes  
So when it's hard to see  
They are there reminding me_

 _Take my breath, and hold me high  
So I can feel the city lights  
Glowing under me  
It's in our reach, we're breaking out_

 _No, we're never gonna turn to dust  
Yeah, all we really need is us  
Don't be scared to close your eyes  
No, we're never gonna die  
We'll be the stars_

 _Oh, no, we're never gonna step too far  
Yeah, we're holding on to who we are  
When it's time to close our eyes,  
They'll see us in the sky  
We'll be the stars_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
We'll be the stars  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
We'll be the stars_

 _We can reach the constellations  
Trust me, all our dreams are breaking out._

 _No, we're never gonna turn to dust.  
All we really need is us.  
So we'll be the stars._

 _Oh, no, we're never gonna step too far  
Yeah, we're holding on to who we are  
When it's time to close our eyes  
They'll see us in the sky  
We'll be the stars_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
We'll be the stars  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
We'll be the stars  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
We'll be the stars_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
We'll be the stars  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
We'll be the stars  
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh  
We'll be the stars_

"Wow, yet another great Chase original," Austin says.

"Oh shut up," I say, as my face heats up.

"You're great at writing songs," Kayla says.

"Guys," Hazel says. Her bottom lip wobbles and her eyes sparkle with unshed tears.

"Hazel, it's going to be okay," I say, wrapping my arms around her as she sobs into the sleeves of her too big jacket that she stole from Sammy last year.

"Aww, sweetheart," Piper says. We end up in a huge group hug, with all of us sobbing.

"I-is this what life's going to be like now?" Kayla says quietly.

"I don't know. We have each other. Sammy would want us to stick together. This isn't ideal, and it's going to be tough, but if we try hard enough, almost anything's possible," I shrug. Hazel sniffles, and her fingers twitch, as if she's running them over piano keys.

"I want to go visit Sammy. I won't be in town forever. I want to see him while I'm here," Hazel says.

"Alright, get your shoes on. We've got a friend to visit," Paolo says.

"Paolo! You said your first full sentence in English! We have to celebrate!" Lester says.

"First Sammy, then, how about we all go to that bar on Hollywood boulevard?" Kayla says.

"Guys. We just lost Sammy because of alcohol. It's not a good idea to drink right now," I say. My hands are shaking. _Great. I've picked up on Percy's issues with alcohol._

"Are you okay, Annie? You seem scared," Austin says.

"I-I'm fine. I just know what alcohol can do to people," I stutter. Piper puts her hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay Annabeth. We're out. We're okay. Percy's fine. Everything is going to be okay," she whispers.

"What happened?" Kayla asks.

"It's not my story to tell, but I think I can tell it without you knowing who it's about. So, I knew a little boy. When he was about six, his mom remarried this man. He was nice at first. Took him out for milkshakes, gave him money, but he had a terrible temper. He'd also drink, a _lot_ in fact. When the man was drunk, he'd beat the little boy senseless. The boy was scared for his life, so he didn't tell a soul. His own best friends didn't know. The boy picked up hobbies that would give an excuse for the cuts and bruises. The man started beating the boy even when he wasn't drunk. The boy would get burned by cigars, hit with beer bottles, and punched and kicked into believing that he was worthless. Then one day, six years later, the boy's mother came home from work early to find her son passed out on the floor, with glass embedded in his stomach, cigarette burns all over his arms, two black eyes, and a concussion. He spent three weeks in the hospital so they could fix the years of unreported injuries that monster had given the boy," I say.

"What happened to that kid?" Lester says nervously.

"He grew up. He's in high school now. He's starting to do better. He's still got scars, both physical and emotional. Sometimes, he flinches at a high five, or gets lost in his own head, but he's doing better. And as for the man? He's in jail, where he belongs," I say.

"That's horrible. Poor kid didn't deserve that," Kayla says.

"Wait. How do you know this kid so well?" Austin says.

"He lives on my old street. I'd see him with his stepfather sometimes. I remember when that guy moved in. I was in his class the year he landed in the hospital, so I had to bring him his school work. It's horrible watching someone you grew up with laying helpless in a hospital bed," I say.

"Okay." Paolo says, tying his shoes. We shuffle down the sidewalk awkwardly to the cemetery. The machine that lowered Sammy down is gone. It's easy to find his grave. It's the only one without grass on it.

"H-hey Sammy. It's us. Your friends. We miss you. I know you can't hear me anymore, but I love you too," Hazel says.

"Love you _too_?" Kayla says.

"He told her that he loved her in Spanish right before we moved. She found out yesterday," I say.

"Oh. _Oh._ Oh Jesus Christ. This is rough. If Sammy were here, I'd be teasing him mercilessly. But he's not anymore. How'd she take it?" Austin says.

"About as well as expected. She sat out in the freezing cold forest and cried for twenty minutes. She's been taking it the hardest out of all of us, you know?" I say. The sun pokes through the clouds.

"I get it. This hasn't been easy for any of us, and we're just his friends. I can only _imagine_ how difficult this is for Hazel," Kayla says. She's got a healthy glow, like Austin and Apollo get when the sun comes out. When the sun comes out, she tends to do better with archery, just like how Austin gets better at his saxophone when the sun is shining.

"It's too quiet. Typically, we'd be laughing by now," Lester says.

"The quiet isn't so bad," I say.

"That's because you live in- I'm sorry, _where_ exactly do you live?," Lester says.

"Mystic, Connecticut. It's a small beach town. A few people have summer homes there. But most of the time, it's just us locals. Sometimes people go sailing up the river to go to the next town over. It's like your typical New England seaport. It's pretty quiet most of the time. In the summers, rich frat boys and their date of the week are on the beaches until four in the morning, partying. Then they pass out drunk on the sand and the high schoolers have to drag them into the shade to make sure they aren't in view of the lifeguards when they wake up from their massive hangovers. It's a fun place. You guys should totally come visit! We can show you all the cool stuff in town," I say.

"If we can crash some frat parties, I'm in. Maybe there are some cute ones," Lester says. Paolo nods.

"Is there anything else to do in Mystic?" Kayla says as Hazel steps away from Sammy's grave.

"There's the stores on main street, the 21 and under club about half an hour outside of town, there's the mall, and there's that dinky old laser tag place. Ooh! You _have_ to meet our friends back home. It'll be so fun!" Piper says. I tune out their conversations and think of a pair of green eyes and an annoying yet endearing smirk. _I miss him._

"Annie? Snap out of Percy Land and come back to earth," Thalia says, waving her hand in front of my eyes.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking of a work in progress song I was writing back home. I've been meaning to work on it, but I have no inspiration out here. It's weird. Being in LA feels almost _wrong_ somehow. It's like i don't belong here," I say.

"That is weird," Austin says.

"I've been feeling that too. The city seems _off_. It's too much. After quiet nights curled up on the couch with people that you grew up with, this place seems too foreign. I find myself missing people like _Bobofit_ and _Sloan_ ," Thalia says, spitting Matt and Nancy's names like a curse.

"Nope. Still too weird to hear their names. Out of all people, why _us_?" I say, shivering as an unexpected gust of wind hits me.

"Because Annie. You are a literal relationship goal," Piper says. I roll my eyes.

"Annabeth 'high school romance is so cliche' Chase has become a relationship goal? What is the world coming to?" Kayla says, throwing her hands up.

"Oh shut up. Percy and I are _not_ relationship goals. We're a mess," I say.

"He snuck out of his house at the crack of dawn to bring you your favorite flavor of ice cream and cheer you up because you had a nightmare," Thalia says.

"Jesus _Christ_ Annabeth! You are living every girl's _dream_ ," Kayla says. I huff and roll my eyes again. I check my phone and see that I have a missed call from Callie. _Hey Annabeth! I hope you're doing okay out in California! We miss you guys! Percy's been miserable all day. He won't admit it though. Nico's been pretty bad too. Of course, he maintains that he's just concerned about Hazel, but he freaks anytime Thalia's mentioned. It's not the same without you here. I'm holding down the fort as best I can, but Leo just came up with the idea to egg Mrs Dodd's bike. I don't know if I can keep this crew out of prison. Jason and Frank have duct taped Leo to the wall so we might be safe. Anyways, I'll let you get back to being famous. Bye!_ Hazel walks up to us.

"Let's go. This place gives me the creeps," Piper says. I check the time. _We've gotta get back to the hotel soon!_ Paolo rushes forward with a few packets of seeds and his water bottle.

" _What_ is he doing?" Austin says. Paolo crouches by the grave and plants the seeds. He comes back, his water bottle nearly empty.

"Why?" Hazel says.

"Umm. Flores- sorry, _flowers_ make people feliz, I mean happy, like Sammy did," he says.

"That's sweet. Wanna go back to Kayla's?" Thalia says. We start shuffling to Kayla's house.

"Annie, I've got to ask. What's with the backpack?" She says, pointing to my backpack.

"Songwriting stuff," I say.

"After all the time we spent in the city, it's weird that it feels so alien here," Piper wsays.

"I know Pipes. I used to love the noise of the city. Now I just want peace and quiet. It's weird, because our life in Mystic has been anything but quiet. I knew it'd be crazy, but not _this_ crazy. Man, Annabeth from last year would have _freaked_ over where we are now. Where _I_ am in my life. It was fifteen year old me's dream. Now that I've got everything in my wildest dreams, I don't understand why I'm so miserable," I say.

"We never know what we've got until it's gone," Hazel says.

"I miss being normal. I miss being able to hang out with people without paparazzi and people asking for my autograph. As much as I love being famous and bringing my music to the masses, but I miss just being _Annabeth Chase_ , normal teenager," I say. We all go into the house and I sit on Kayla's couch. I place my backpack on the ground by my foot.

"So, this is awkward. Anyone want to talk about something? Anything?" Lester says. My phone buzzes. _Silena._

"We've got to go. Tomorrow?" I say, putting on my backpack.

"Yeah. Meet at the cafe on the corner of 25th and 30th," Austin says. We walk back to the hotel in silence.

"See you tomorrow," Hazel says as Thalia closes the door behind her. I drop my backpack beside me on my bed, and open my laptop. Thalia comes out of the bathroom wearing her pajamas.

"What are you doing?" Thalia says,sitting down on her bed.

"Nothing much. Just researching colleges," I say, pulling my hair into a ponytail.

"Why?" Thalia says.

"Because, if I want to _be_ somebody after the Sirens, I'm going to need a degree. We all will. We can't do this forever. Eventually, we're going to have to stop for some reason," I say.

"Yeah. You've got a spot as VP of your mom's firm, Percy's got his dad's company, Leo's probably going off to some great engineering school, Piper can get work anywhere in Hollywood or public speaking, Frank's going to be a veterinarian, Hazel wants to be an archaeologist, Jason's going to be a pilot, Nico's going to be doing something with forensics, and I want to do work in women's rights. We're going to need degrees," she says. My laptop beeps. _Call from: Percy_. Thalia lies down on her phone.

"Hi," I say, after accepting the call.

"hey Annabeth, what's up?" Percy says.

"I was looking at colleges, but now I'm thinking of working on a song. You?" I say.

"Cool. I've been hanging out with everyone. It's weird without you girls here. Anyways, enough about my boring day. Tell me about this song you're working on. I'm sure that it's great," he says.

"If you want, I could play it for you in a few minutes, once I finish up the notes," I say, opening my backpack and pulling out my songbook and my ukulele.

"Woah. I thought you played the violin," he says. Triton flops into view beside him.

"Hey Annie, how's my favorite sister in law?" Triton slurs. Percy and I blush bright red.

"Triton, I'm gonna _kill_ you!" Percy says. I laugh nervously.

"Triton, you're drunk again, aren't you? Percy and I are _not_ \- I mean, how could you even _think_ -" I stammer. Thalia snickers from the other bed.

"Anyways, I started learning the ukulele because I felt bad that everyone else had to play for me. None of our songs needed violin, and maybe we can get a bit of ukulele into our albums." I say, writing down a couple things in my songbook. Triton wolf whistles. I glance up as Percy smacks the back of his head.

"What?" Triton says.

" _Dude_. You just whistled at my girlfriend," Percy scowls.

"Can you _blame_ me?" Triton slurs.

"She's a person, not a piece of ass for you to ogle," Percy says.

"But she's got a killer body," Triton says.

"Wise girl, I'm sorry about him. Hang on, I'm moving towards my bedroom, so Triton can't bother us," Percy says.

"Aww, don't be jealous little bro! I'm just saying that your girlfriend is attractive," Triton says in the distance. Percy's door closes.

"Okay, so I think I'm done with the song. I don't have a title yet, but here goes," I say, clutching my ukulele.

 _This might be wrong, but he's all I know_

 _He's all I know_

 _Most times I pretend that he's just a friend_

 _He's just a friend_

 _Yeah, I'll try to make our hearts beat in time_

 _Even though your rhythm might not be with mine_

 _But darling I'm a mess without your love_

 _Heaven knows I'm trying, trying to get by_

 _But darling I'm a mess without your love_

 _All I need is one more goodbye kiss_

 _Your lips I miss, cause they're all I know, I can't let you go_

 _And I won't forget, all that you said is engraved in my head_

 _Yeah I'll try to make our hearts beat in time_

 _Even though you're rhythm might not be with mine_

 _But darling I'm a mess without your love_

 _Heaven knows I'm trying, trying to get by_

 _But darling I'm a mess without your love_

 _All I need is one more goodbye kiss_

 _No oh, a goodbye kiss_

 _Ooooh oh ooh oh oh ooh_

 _Yeah I'll try to make our hearts beat in time_

 _Even though your rhythm might not be with mine_

 _But darling I'm a mess without your love_

 _Heaven knows I'm trying, trying to get by_

 _But darling I'm a mess without your love_

 _All I need is one more goodbye kiss_

I hear clapping from beside me.

"Wow, that was great Annie! What'd you base that on?" Thalia says, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Oh, don't you start this right now," I say.

"Start what?" Thalia says with a weird grin on her face.

"Whenever anyone in this house wiggles their eyebrows, it means they're asking about sex," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Fine, you got me. Anyways, I brought you the makeup wipes so you can wipe off that makeup from the funeral," she says as I plug my headphones into my laptop.

"Sorry about that Percy. Hey, you don't mind if I take off my makeup now, do you?" I say.

"Nah. If you want to, you can. I have no control over what you do, and I'm okay with that," he says. I start to wipe my face off. Percy's mostly quiet.

"Sorry about that. You okay?" I say.

"Yeah. I explained that I have PTSD and alcohol is a trigger, so the manager put it in writing that someone else has to handle alcoholic beverages if any of my tables order them. I'm fine though. No flashbacks, but when I took a nap earlier, I had a nightmare about Gabe. But enough about me. Are _you_ okay?" he says.

"I guess. Being here feels weird. The service was _touching_ , I guess. I'm still in shock that he's gone. We spent most of today at his grave. We planted some flowers there, because Sammy always made people happy, and even in death, he'd want to cheer somebody up, even if it's just for a little while. Being out here made me realize how much I love the quiet back home. God, I miss you guys," I say.

"Miss you too. You'll be home in three days, right?" he says as my phone buzzes.

"Yeah. Oh crap. My dad says that his family and Susan's family are coming to visit on the twenty first and staying in town through the twenty third. They want to see me," I say, checking my phone.

"So I'll get you home to drop off your bags and change, and I'll drop you off at your dad's," he says.

"Sounds good," I say.

"Percy! Come here!" I hear Poseidon shout from somewhere in Percy's house.

"Gotta go. Love you," Percy says.

"Love you too. We'll talk more tomorrow," I yawn before Percy ends the video call. I take out my headphones and get ready for bed. _Two days until I can go home._

 **(A/N: Hey guys! I'm back again! So you've finally got your** _ **Trials of Apollo**_ **characters coming in! Next chapter, there's going to be a bit of backstory on these characters because there are some obvious things in their Riordanverse backstories that have to be edited. Now time for my personal favorite part of this author's note: Paolo's handy dandy Portuguese translator (brought to you by Google Translate) anyways, here goes:**

 **Ele é bonito- He is handsome**

 **Acho que está certo-I think that's right**

 **Everything else is addressed in the story. Thanks guys! GG over and out)**


	19. Thanks for the Memories

Chapter 19

(Percy's POV)

I stare out the window at my old treehouse. Most of the snow has melted now. The walls are warped in places, and the roof sags with age and the weight of snow. I bundle up and climb into the tree. There are cobwebs everywhere. On the walls are old crayon drawings. photographs, projects, and toys sit on a crooked shelf. I smile at a picture of Annabeth and I on the wall. We're playing hacky sack with an apple, and Annabeth's laughing. The picture beside it is one of Triton, Tyson, and I. I remember when I first met Triton.

" _Percy. You're going to be okay. Gabe can't hurt you anymore," Annabeth says, squeezing my hand. I'm leaning against her, shaking. My face is wet with tears. Our legs dangle off of the edge of the tree house. I say nothing, just swinging my arms back and forth._

" _He's back here," mom says from inside the house._

" _I probably deserved it," I say, glancing down at our hands._

" _That's a lie. You don't deserve what that monster did to you," Annabeth says. Her ponytail whips around in the wind. A boy with long black hair and glowing green eyes is below us._

" _But he said that he did it because I was worthless. I am worthless, aren't I?" I say._

" _Percy, listen. You are not worthless. Don't you understand how much you mean to me, to your mother, to everyone? You have worth. Not to Gabe, but you don't need his approval. Do you understand me? You. Are. Not. Worthless. Anyone who says differently is a liar, okay?" she says. Her lips press against my forehead._

" _Got it," I say._

" _I've got to go. Malcolm's coming home for the first time. See you tomorrow?" She sighs, removing her hand from mine._

" _Yeah. Wouldn't miss it," I say. She climbs down the ladder and disappears. Mom comes outside._

" _Percy get down! There's someone I'd like you to meet!" Mom shouts. I clamber down the ladder and come face to face with an odd group of people. There's a bearded man with my hair and eye color, a boy slightly taller than me with glowing green eyes and a mop of black hair, a woman with black hair and brown eyes, and a baby with huge brown eyes. I flinch and duck. "Percy, they won't hurt you. This is Poseidon, your father, his wife Amphitrite, your older half brother, and baby Tyson. They're your family," mom says._

" _No," I say._

" _No?" Poseidon says, raising an eyebrow._

" _No. my father is dead. He died before I was born. Because that's the last time you ever acted like a father. Where were you, huh? Where were you when I needed you? Where were you when my stepdad would hit me? Where were you when there was a father son event? Nowhere. Annabeth's dad is more of a father to me than you'll ever be," I say, before running back up to my treehouse._

" _Annabeth? What an odd name! Who is Annabeth?" Dad says._

" _Annabeth's a family friend. Her mom and I bonded because her husband was always at work, and you abandoned us. He's known her almost his whole life. Frederick and Athena have been a real help to me," Mom says._

" _Athena? My son grew up around Athena? That won't do!" Dad says._

" _Your son? Your son? Funny, he wasn't your son when we needed child support. He hasn't been your son for twelve years! So don't you dare lecture me about Athena Chase. She's been more of a parent to my baby boy than you've ever been," Mom says. They keep arguing and the adults go inside. Triton stands below me._

" _Can I come up?" He says._

" _Sure," I shrug, pinning an old crayon drawing of Annabeth and I onto the wall. He picks up a picture of Annabeth that's sitting on the shelf._

" _I'm Triton," he says._

" _Hi. How old are you?" I say._

" _Thirteen," he shrugs._

" _Cool," I say._

" _So that Annabeth girl, she was the one that was here earlier, right?" he says._

" _Yeah, why?" I say._

" _She's pretty. Is she your girlfriend?"he says._

" _Eww! She's my best friend! Practically a sister!" I say._

" _So she's single? Sweet! Maybe I should ask her out," he says. My fists clench._

" _No. she doesn't date. Just leave her alone," I say. A blonde head pokes into the room._

" _Seaweed Brain? Did I leave my- oh hi! Who're you?" Annabeth says._

" _I'm Triton, Percy's half brother. And you must be Annabeth," he says, shaking her hand. He holds it for a second too long._

" _So anyways, Seaweed Brain, did I leave my bag here?" Annabeth says._

" _Yeah Wise Girl. It's right next to our old poster on Ancient Greece," I say, pointing to her grey drawstring bag with music notes drawn all over it._

" _Thanks," she says, grabbing the bag._

" _Tell your family I said hi!" I say as she leaves._

" _She's really pretty. Shame she doesn't date," he says._

" _I guess so," I mutter absentmindedly. My brain is a million miles away, wondering if Annabeth's always been so cute._

The poster on Ancient Greece still sits in the room, gathering dust. I grimace and shuffle inside the house.

"Good morning, Percy," mom says.

"Hey mom," I yawn, grabbing a box of cereal.

"What are you doing today?" She asks, sitting across from me with a mug of tea. She never was one for coffee. I shrug.

"I don't know. Hanging out here. Maybe playing a few games," I shrug. The small of my back starts to hurt.

"Are you alright?" Mom says.

"My back hurts again. Oh wait, I have an x ray scheduled for… Thirty five minutes? It takes me twenty minutes to get there! Gotta go!" I say, sprinting towards my room. I grab the first pair of jeans I can find and yank them on, before grabbing a random shirt off my desk chair and tugging it over my head. I shove my feet into a pair of sneakers and grab my keys. The drive to the hospital is quiet. I go into the unnecessarily bright waiting room and check in. I sit next to a boy with a bleeding arm. "What'd you do?" I ask.

"Oh, the arm? I fell off my skateboard trying to impress a girl. You?" The boy says.

"Um, remember that hostage situation at Goode High School like two weeks ago? Well, I got my ribs broken during that fiasco," I shrug.

"That sucks. I'm Lars, by the way," he says.

"I'm Percy. That girl better have been impressed with your skateboarding," I chuckle.

"You skateboard?" Lars asks.

"A little. Doesn't impress my girlfriend though. She's seen me wipe out a few too many times," I say.

"You have a girlfriend? Bro, you have to tell me _how_ to get girls!" he says.

"Honestly, I don't even know how I ended up with her. But if I've learned anything from being subjected to eight years worth of romantic comedies and chick flicks, I'd suggest making the girl laugh," I shrug.

" _Eight years_? How are you still alive?"

"I don't know. Thank _god_ my girlfriend loves action movies and things like Die Hard, or else I'd have died years ago. Dude, if somebody suggests _the Vow_ , get as far away as you can," I say.

"Your girl sounds cool. I need to find me somebody like that," he says.

"Yeah. Just remember, it's not all about the movies. Trust me, my girlfriend's taste in movies is awesome, but she's also a colossal nerd and way too prideful and stubborn for her own good. Honestly, I'm used to it, so I don't mind, but _dear god_ that girl loves her books," I say.

"Jackson?" The receptionist says.

"Oh, that's me. I'll see you around, right? There's a pretty nice skate park about three miles west of Central Park in Mystic. I'm usually there. You should check it out sometime," I say, before following the nurse back to the X ray room.

"Okay, Percy. You'll need to remove your shirt and lay down on this table. Dr Eir will be in shortly." The nurse says as the X-ray technician fiddles with the machine. I peel off my shirt and lay back. The metal feels freezing against my skin. I shut my eyes and listen to the quiet hum of the machine.

(Lester's POV)

We sit quietly on the beach, just watching the waves hit the shore. I can see Annabeth's hair blowing around in the corner of my vision. A couple walks by, and Hazel gasps.

"It's too quiet. Let's talk about something," Piper says.

"Let's go hang out at my place, and we can talk. Too many strangers here," I say. We climb into our cars and head back to my house. The girls huddle protectively around Hazel until we get inside. Annabeth's phone rings.

"Oh sorry! I have to take this. Say anything and I'll ruin your life." Annabeth says. I can hear a deep voice on the other line."hold on. You're in the hospital _again_? What did you do?" More chatter. "What? That's awesome!" More chatter. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye!" Annabeth grins.

"What was up?" Thalia says.

"Percy is on his way home from the hospital. His ribs are healing faster than expected. oh, and he says that everyone back home says hi," Annabeth shrugs.

"Alright, so we're going to try something here. We're going to go around and say something about ourselves that not everyone else knows. Kayla, do you want to go first?" Austin says.

"Sure. Alright guys. This is hard to tell you, but I want to be open about it. I have no idea who my mom is. I was the product of a drunken one night stand, and was dropped on my dad's doorstep at three days old," she says.

"But isn't your dad-" I say.

"Gay? Yeah. He made a drunken mistake and here I am, a constant reminder of that mistake to my father. I have her hair color and her nose. I dye my hair so I don't remind anyone of her," she says.

"Alright. I'll go next. I don't remember who my parents are. I got hit in the head when I was younger, and I got amnesia. I never got my memory back. All I know is that my birth name is Lester. An elderly couple took me in, and I took their last name as a sign of gratitude," I say.

"You could take a DNA test," Annabeth says.

"I… umm… ter uma queda por Lester," Paolo says.

"What?" Hazel says. Paolo shakes his head.

"Okay, so I'll go next. Sometimes it feels like my brother and I are the ones raising our parents. Since I left, he's been doing it all on his own. He pretends he's fine, but I _know_ that it's starting to weigh on him," Thalia says.

"Dang, this got sad really quickly. Annabeth, want to boost the mood?" Piper says.

"Well, my mother hates my boyfriend. It's kind of funny, because he's absolutely _terrified_ by her. And she has the _worst_ timing I've ever seen. But she's so uncomfortable with the fact that I'm dating the son of her worst enemy that she completely refuses to acknowledge it, so we can get out of quite a few sticky situations," Annabeth says awkwardly.

"But isn't your mom's worst enemy-" Austin says.

"Poseidon? Yep. We all thought he only had two kids, but apparently he had an illegitimate son. That's Percy. We were already best friends by then so it didn't do much to our friendship," Annabeth says.

"Honestly, I want to hear stories of Athena's awful timing," I say. Annabeth blushes so red that she looks nearly purple.

"They're so _embarrassing_!" She says, tugging on a loose curl.

"Please? We all need some laughter after yesterday," Hazel says.

"Fine. She… umm… walked in on us once? Yeah, umm… he was literally on top of me. It was the most _awkward_ experience of my life," Annabeth mutters. Thalia chokes on a sip of her coke.

"She _what_?" Piper laughs.

"Wow. That's quite an… embarrassing story. How'd she take it?" Thalia coughs.

"Oh she didn't know. She still doesn't. If any of you tell her, I'll kill you. She's convinced that we were studying for midterms and there was a random tickle fight. I'm not correcting her," Annabeth says.

"Damn. You two are _good_. We would have been caught instantly," Thalia says.

"Pipes?" Annabeth says. Thalia stands up.

"Be right back," she says, heading for the bathroom.

"Okay, so I got the song done. Pipes, you and Nico are in charge of getting Thalia and Jason out of the house. Hazel, are you feeling up to playing keyboard on the twenty second?" Annabeth says. Hazel nods.

"Wait, what?" Kayla says.

"Thalia's birthday is on the twenty second. We're throwing a surprise party for her and her twin brother. Do you guys wanna Skype that day? Thalia would love it," Piper says.

"Sure! I can't wait to officially meet your other friends," Austin says. Thalia comes back.

"Okay, so I'm going to try and keep the mood up. I donate all the hair I chop off to make wigs for cancer patients. When my hair grows out enough, I'm going to cut it all off and donate it. I've been lucky, and I like donating to those who aren't as lucky," Piper says.

"Why don't you tell anyone?" I say.

"The same reason Annabeth doesn't tell anyone that she volunteers at charities and homeless shelters, why Thalia works with special needs children, and why Hazel doesn't tell anyone about how she helps out protesters that get hurt. We aren't there for publicity. We're there because we want to make a difference," Piper says.

"How do you pull it off? You're all insanely recognizable," Austin says.

"Well, I put in blue colored contacts and put on a brown wig. Blonde curls and gray eyes are pretty recognizable," Annabeth says.

"Brown contacts and makeup. It's pretty hard to recognize me without the gold eyes," Hazel says.

"Hair extensions and makeup. Without my eyeliner and with longer hair, I'm pretty hard to recognize," Thalia says.

"Umm. I just do makeup. Since my eyes change in different lighting, it's hard to do colored contacts. And since I never wear makeup, people can't recognize me when I do," Piper says.

"Alright, so I'm next? Cool. Before I got famous, I'd draw pictures and make things for the orphans at the orphanage back home," Hazel says.

"That's sweet. I don't just play the saxophone. I play the violin, but I'm not as good at it as I would like," Austin says.

"Oh! That reminds me! I've started learning how to play the ukulele!" Annabeth says.

"That's awesome!" Piper says.

"Yeah. This isn't working, I still can't stop thinking about Sammy." Hazel says, pulling Sammy's jacket tighter around her body. It reaches her knees when she stands up, so it practically swallows her when she sits. The jacket is well worn. Its brown material is fading along the elbows. something crinkles in the pocket. "What?" Hazel mutters, pulling out a crumpled sheet of paper.

"What is it?" I say.

"I-it's the routine he did the night we met. Oh my _god_ ," Hazel sniffles.

"Hazel, it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay. Sammy would want you to keep it," Thalia says.

"I just feel so _alone_ , you know? None of you know quite what it's like to lose a partner," Hazel sobs.

"Hazel, we might not understand _exactly_ what you feel, but you are _not_ alone. No matter what you do, we're going to be right beside you," Annabeth says, folding the paper and tucking it into the pocket of the jacket.

"We're your best friends. It's our job to _be_ there," Piper says.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Thalia** , _**All**_ )

If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea,  
 _I'll sail the world to find you  
_ If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see,  
 **I'll be the light to guide you**

 _Find out what we're made of  
_ **When we are called to help our friends in need**

 _ **You can count on me like one two three  
**_ I'll be there  
 _ **And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two**_  
You'll be there  
 _ **'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah**_ __

Whoa, whoa  
 **Oh, oh** _  
Yeah, yeah_ **  
**  
If you tossin' and you're turnin' and you just can't fall asleep  
 _I'll sing a song  
Beside you  
_And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me  
 **Everyday I will  
Remind you** _  
_  
 _Ooh  
_ **Find out what we're made of  
** When we are called to help our friends in need

 _ **You can count on me like one two three**_  
I'll be there  
 _ **And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two**_  
 _You'll be there_  
 **'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah**

 **Oh, oh  
Yeah, yeah  
**  
You'll always have my shoulder when you cry  
 _I'll never let go  
Never say goodbye  
_You know you can

Count on me like one two three  
 _ **I'll be there**_  
 _And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two  
_ _ **And you'll be there**_  
 **'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah**

 _Oh, oh  
_ _ **You can count on me 'cause I can count on you**_

"Thanks," Hazel sniffles.

"Haze? Are you feeling okay? I can call Nico or Frank if you need me to," Thalia says.

"I'm not okay, but I'll get there someday," Hazel says quietly.

"That's okay. None of us are okay, but we'll get there," Piper says. Hazel smiles a watery smile and pulls her legs tighter against her body.

"We're heading for the airport at eight tomorrow morning if you want to see us off," Annabeth says.

"Alright," I say.

"We should go out tonight. We can just go out to eat," Kayla says.

"Alright. Let's go to that really good burger place," Thalia says. We pack up our stuff and clamber into our cars. I climb into the driver's seat as Paolo climbs in beside me.

(Leo's POV)

Jason and I sit on his couch, playing video games. Neither of us really talk about anything, we just sit there in silence. Jason looks sad and stressed. I'm sure I look the same way. Jason pretends to be fine, but we can tell that _something_ is off with him. Well, at least I can. I've been pretending to be okay for a while. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get over my family's death. Some days I'm okay, but others, I think about how proud my parents would have been to see me now. My mom always joked about taking pictures of me and my date to junior prom, but she's not here anymore. She's never going to see me in a tux.

"Hey, I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll be back in an hour," I say, getting off the couch.

"I'll go with you." Jason says, grabbing his jacket. I don't have a good jacket with me, so Jason finds an old coat of his and gives it to me. We set out, and we walk the twenty minutes to my old house. There's charred rubble everywhere, and in a small cleared out spot, there's a vase full of fake flowers and a little laminated notecard written in Piper's swirly handwriting that says 'I figure the universe is basically like a machine. I don't know who made it, but it chugs along the way it's supposed to most of the time. Sure, little pieces break and stuff goes haywire once in awhile, but mostly… things happen for a reason. -Leo Valdez, gone but never forgotten.' I smile sadly.

"There's nothing left here. Nothing I can take to remember my life before the fire," I sniff.

"Piper still has your tool belt somewhere. Somehow, some of your blueprints for things you wanted to make survived the blaze, so Annabeth took those and started trying to build them. They're still in her bedroom if you want to see them. Percy and I split the stuff that was in your dad's fireproof box. It's mostly important documents and a few baby pictures. Frank has that weird flying boat thing that you and your dad built. Hazel has that yellow toy car you modified. Nico and Thalia held onto those weird sphere things you invented. In Percy's tree house, we have a ton of stuff that was partially salvageable. We've got some burnt scraps of cloth, a piece of an old blanket, a few Christmas cards, some of your artwork, and a couple family photos. It's not going to bring them back, but we did save what we could." he says, shoving his hands into his pockets as we walk down the street. We pass Nico's house, and I turn towards the graveyard. We walk quietly up to my grave. My parents are buried on either side of me. I stare down at my grave blankly. "We used to hang out here sometimes, after the girls left. It was hard. We lost five people in one week. God, it was bad," he says.

"Can I, uh, talk to my parents?" I ask.

"Sure. I'll be by that grave over there," he says, pointing towards a massive headstone nearly forty feet away..

"Hey mom. Hey dad. It's been a while, hasn't it? Percy and Annabeth are dating now, and so are Thalia and Nico. You called it all those years ago, mom. I thought you were crazy, but you were right. Prom's in about five months. You always wanted to see me in a tux. God, I wish you guys were here. Watching my friends grow up and fall in love makes me feel sort of out of place. You would've been so proud of us if you were alive. People actually pay attention to us now. The girls are famous. Grover, Annabeth and Percy's old babysitter, is engaged. Everyone seems so happy. Well, except for me. I miss you guys. Everyone salvaged what they could from the fire, and as nice as it is, it can't bring you back. The doctors say that my left leg is going to be scarred for the rest of my life, but I'd give myself third degree burns everywhere if it'd bring you guys back. Nobody quite understands. The only people who can kind of get it are Nico and Hazel, but they have each other. I'm all alone. If you could see me now, I know you'd be happy with who I've become. I don't know where you are, or if you can even hear me, but I love you guys, and I'm trying to live by the advice you gave me," I say, before turning away and trudging towards Jason.

(Reyna's POV)

"So, like, I'm _so_ close to getting Nico back," Khione says, finishing her glass of wine. Rachel gags.

"RED, you alright?" I say as Khione and Drew leave to go get more alcohol.

"I've been puking all the time, and I skipped a period for the first time since middle school. I don't know what's wrong with me!" She says.

"Hey, we're going to the store to go pick up some more alcohol. Either of you want anything else?" Drew says.

"Some chips would be nice," I shrug.

"Ooh! Get some Advil and water! We're going to need them," Rachel says.

"Will do!" Drew says.

"Did you hook up with anyone in the last few weeks?" I say nervously.

"Yeah, just Percy's brother. Why?" Rachel says.

"Rachel, I think you might be pregnant with your exes niece or nephew," I whisper. Her face pales and her eyes widen.

" _No. it can't be_. Is there any way to check?" She stammers.

"I think Drew's mom has a few pregnancy tests under the sink. Come on." I say, grabbing her arm and our glasses of wine. I dump her glass down the sink and replace it with grape juice. I replace mine with grape juice too. _I get gossipy when I'm drunk. I'm going to have to stay sober here_. The house is silent."Rach, how's it going?"

"I've got to wait another three minutes before we know for sure," she says. I open the bathroom door. Rachel sits in the corner, staring at the white stick and visibly shaking.

"Rachel, it's going to be okay. Here, tell me something. Anything," I say, sitting beside her on the cold tile.

"Anything? Okay. I love to paint. I hated popular girls with a passion. My old friends would have died laughing if they saw me now," Rachel says.

"Can you keep a secret?" I say.

"Yeah," Rachel says.

"I don't think that Annabeth and her friends are all that bad," I say.

"Me either. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if I'd been a little more like them, I wouldn't be here right now," Rachel says.

"We've all made bad decisions in our lives, but we have to bounce back," I say.

"Thanks Rey. I needed that," She says. I glance down at the test.

"Umm, RED?" I say.

"What?" She says.

"Y-your test," I stammer, pointing at the little stick with a tiny plus sign that changes everything.

" _What_? Oh my god, no! _No, no no_! I can't be a teen mom!" Rachel says.

"Rachel, it's going to be okay," I say. _This is uncharted territory._

"I have to go see Percy," she says, shoving the test into her pocket.

"I'll drive. Text Drew and Khione. Tell them you weren't feeling well so I'm driving you home," I say, grabbing my keys. Rachel climbs into my car and I drive off towards Percy's house. The lights are off. _Probably because it's three in the morning._ A light turns on. Rachel and I stumble up the front steps and I knock on the door. Percy answers the door, holding a glass of water in one hand. He's missing a shirt, and there are weird scars all over him. His phone hangs out of the pocket of his sweatpants, and I can't help but stare at him. _Dear god, those abs! Annabeth is one lucky girl if she gets to see these all the time!_

"Rey? Rach? It's the middle of the night!" He yawns. Rachel walks in and starts sobbing into his chest. "What's wrong?" Rachel pulls away and gives him her positive test. He pales, making a small scar over his eye stand out more.

"We think it's your brother's," I say.

"Okay. Wow. Can't say I'm surprised. Should've known Triton would knock a girl up. Didn't know it would be my ex," Percy says, wiping sleep from his eyes. Rachel starts to sob harder.

"What do I do?" She wails.

"First, _shh!_ Do you want my parents to wake up? Triton's already going to be in deep shit for this one, but I'd rather not have the neighbors hear , we're going to help you. Your parents pay your credit card bills, right? And you don't want them to know?" He says.

"Yeah," she whispers.

"Okay. I might need to get some people involved to help us pull this off, but I think we can make it work. My mom can make appointments for you to see doctors, Silena can tailor your wardrobe so nobody can tell you're pregnant, Annabeth can get you some baby supplies, Leo can build you a crib, Piper can help you find good baby food, Jason and Thalia can help you set up a nursery, Nico and Frank can help you come up with a fake injury to excuse you being in the hospital, Hazel can show you how to hold your books to hide your stomach, Callie can teach you how to care for a child, and my family could watch the kid while we're at school," Percy says.

"I know you might not exactly like his friends, but they can help," I say.

"Okay. We might be able to do this," Rachel says. Percy shakes Triton awake.

"Get up, dumbass. Someone wants to talk to you," Percy says as Triton sits up.

"Rach? What is it?" Triton says. Rachel says nothing, just handing him the stick."it's mine?" He says.

"Yep. You know Triton, I always knew you'd be a dad. I just didn't know that'd it be at eighteen and with my ex girlfriend," Percy says.

"Oh _god_. I live across the country from you guys. How are we going to do this?" Triton says. His hair hangs limply around his face. Percy chugs his glass of water.

"Relax bro, I've got it handled. You go out to California and finish up high school, and we'll raise the kid. You better come out here for college or I'll have to kill you," Percy chuckles, typing something on his phone.

"Do you know what you're doing?" I say.

"Yeah. Annabeth and I practically raised her younger brothers and they turned out fine. This is no biggie," Percy mutters.

"What are you not allowed to do when pregnant?" Rachel asks.

"You can't drink, smoke, do drugs, and don't get yourself into a situation where your stomach could be easily hurt. So, no parties. You can tell them that Mr Blofis assigned Annabeth to tutor you until your grade goes up. You don't actually have to be there," Percy says.

"Thanks. You're a good guy Percy. But, after everything I did, why do you still want to help?" Rachel says.

"Because you're family now. I have a question for you. Do you ever _think_ about what you're doing Rachel?" Percy says.

"What?" Rachel says.

"do you know what you girls did to people? What your torture did to my friends? Annabeth used to come home in _tears_ because of the sick stuff you'd say to her. Hazel straight up went mute for three weeks. Thalia locked herself in her room for _days_. We had to use a rope and a picnic basket to make sure she ate and drank. Piper ran away from home because of you. I had to watch the people I care about most in this world get completely and utterly destroyed. They've put themselves back together for the most part, but that stuff that you said to them that you forgot about within a month, they remember," Percy says.

"Wow. I-I didn't know. I'm so sorry I did that to them," Rachel stammers. I frown.

"It's okay. They're doing better. _We're_ doing better." he says. His phone vibrates. "I gotta take this."

"Go ahead. We'll work things out with Triton," I say.

"Hey babe," Percy says into the phone as he walks down the hall.

"So," I say. Triton stares at a bright blue throw pillow in his lap.

"Oh my _god_ , my dad's going to _kill_ me," he mutters.

"Kill _you_? I'm the one who's carrying your baby, oh, and did I forget to mention? Your brother's my ex!" Rachel hisses.

"He was already on my case about getting my act together so I could inherit his company and get access to money and supplies, and I've managed to get someone pregnant. God, I feel bad for Percy. Hes inheriting everything now. He never wanted the company. He wanted to be a marine biologist or something. Now because of me, he just got a multimillion dollar company thrown at him. I already kind of figured that he'd be in the public eye, I mean he's dating a pop princess. But he doesn't deserve to have the rest of his life ruined because of me," he says.

"-so, anyways, everything's going fine here. Wait, there is something I have to tell you, but it'd be better to do in person. You'll be back here at two tomorrow, right? Great. See you then. Hey I gotta go. Family emergency. Love you," Percy says, somewhere else in the house. I can barely hear him.

"Percy's known for getting dragged into things. Where are your company headquarters?" Rachel says.

"On the outskirts of LA," Triton says as Percy comes back into the room.

"What?" Percy says.

"Percy, I'm so _so_ sorry! I swear I didn't mean to ruin your future," Triton says.

"Backtrack there for a second. _What_ did you do?" Percy says, running a hand through his hair.

"Since I got Rachel pregnant, dad's giving the company to you, but you didn't _want_ the company, and you planned the rest of your life around not running the-" Triton says, gesticulating wildly.

"When I realized that it was looking increasingly likely that I would have to run a company, I started reworking my plans. I'm going to have to do a business major, which isn't exactly what I _wanted_ , but it's okay. I'm going to be okay. Besides, now I can run the company my way, and that's okay with me," Percy says.

"But-" Rachel starts.

"I'm going to be fine! Annabeth and her older brother are splitting their mom's architecture firm fifty fifty. Annabeth's taking care of architecture stuff, while Malcolm's taking care of finances. I'm not going to have as much help, but I can handle things," Percy says, cutting Rachel off.

"So, back to baby Dare-Jackson," I say.

"Actually, it's Baby Dare- _Olympiad_ ," Triton says.

"Yeah. Their last name is Olympiad. I have my mom's last name," Percy says.

"It doesn't matter! How are we going to keep Triton in the loop?" I say.

"Alright. I have an idea. You have to keep your phone on you at all times Triton. One of us could FaceTime you for every appointment, and I think Annabeth can get ahold of the Olympus records company jet and fly you out here for the birth," Percy says.

"That might work," I say.

"What if I don't want to have this baby?" Rachel says.

"You mean, get an abortion? Unless you want to do it in some secluded alley, which I must remind you, is both illegal and often very harmful, you'd have to go to Planned Parenthood. Since you're under eighteen and female, they are legally required to get parental approval. So abortion is _not_ an option if you want it to be a secret," Percy says. Rachel pouts.

"You're a great guy, Percy. Annabeth's a lucky girl," I say.

"Thanks, I guess? And Rey? Keep trying to help people. You're the popular girl people actually _like_. Try to keep it like that," Percy yawns.

"I will. Goodnight guys. Happy holidays," I say, leading Rachel towards the door.

"You too!" Triton says as Rachel shuts the door behind her.

(Percy's POV)

"Wow, nice going dumbass. I'm going to go make Dad's coffee," I say, before walking into the kitchen and starting up the coffeemaker. Dad's supposed to wake up soon. It's easier to tell him bad news early in the morning when he's distracted. Dad stumbles in just as the coffee finishes brewing.

"Good morning Perseus," Dad yawns as I pour him a mug of coffee.

"Good morning Dad. how'd you sleep?" I say, turning my back on him.

"Fine. good god, what's all over your body?" Dad says.

"My scars? My ex stepdad was abusive, remember?" I say awkwardly.

"And the bruise on your neck?" Dad deadpans. I feel my face heat up. "Is that a blush I see?"

"Oh my god, no! I was joking around with Annabeth and I slipped and hit the side of my neck on a chair! We _didn't_ \- I mean how could you even think that we would-" I stammer, covering my cheeks with my hands.

"That's not what your face says," Triton says, pouring himself a mug of coffee. Mom comes in, wiping her mouth.

" _Shut up_ ," I say.

"Oh, good morning Sally!" Dad says.

"Where's Paul?" I ask.

"Right here," Paul says from the living room.

"So, is it okay if Amphitrite and I take Tyson out for-" Mom starts.

"Hey, what's this?" Paul interrupts, picking up Rachel's pregnancy test. _Shit._ "Perseus Jackson, what did you _do_?" I curse under my breath.

"Nothing," I say, trailing off nervously.

"Because there's a positive pregnancy test in here," Paul says. _Crap. Shit. No. this is bad. Why am I getting blamed for this?_

"Percy! You got Annabeth pregnant?" Mom says. I blush bright red.

"No. that's not mine. A-Annabeth's in LA. We wouldn't do that," I stammer, backing up.

"Percy's telling the truth. That's mine," Triton says as my back hits the handle on the refrigerator. Mom gasps.

" _What_?" She says.

"Percy didn't do anything. I got Rachel pregnant," Triton says. Dad drops his mug and it breaks on the tile floor.


	20. Coming Home

Chapter 20

 _Previously on Secretly Us: "Percy didn't do anything. I got Rachel pregnant," - Triton._

(Percy's POV)

Mom gets up and starts to pace. Paul leans in the doorway and taps his hand on the wall, the way he does when he's thinking. I start cleaning up Dad's broken mug.

"Percy, thanks for cleaning up that mess," dad says.

"No problem," I shrug.

"So when does Annabeth get back?" Dad yawns, stroking his beard. I grin.

"About one forty five," I say, before my smile drops off my face. _Oh no._

"I thought you'd be more excited!" Mom says, stopping abruptly.

"Yeah, I'm excited. I'm just worried. I don't know _how_ she'll handle this. I promised to tell her if something like this happened, but she's got so much on her plate right now, and I don't want her to get overwhelmed and stressed again." I say, thinking about the last time that happened. _She didn't eat for three days. Her only nutrients were in a blueberry smoothie I made her. Her eyes looked so dull and empty. She just sat there on her laptop, typing. I never want to see her like that again. It broke my heart._ "I'm going to go back to bed." I say.

"Wait! Do you have any ideas for how we handle this?" Dad says.

"You're asking _me_? A sixteen year old kid who's never had to deal with this in my life? I don't know where we go from here, but I do know that we can't do it alone. Rachel doesn't want her parents to know. This is bigger than all of us. Mom, can you make Rachel doctor's appointments?" I say.

"Annabeth really is rubbing off on you," Paul says.

"Yeah, I can do that. Anything else?" She says.

"Would you mind watching the kid while we're at school?" I say.

"No problem," she says.

"Great. Paul, I need you to cover for Rachel when she's out of school. We can handle the rest," I say.

"Oh, um, who's _we_?" Paul says.

"Annabeth, Leo, Rachel, Reyna, Piper, Frank, Nico, Hazel, Thalia, Jason, Callie, and I. Reyna and I worked this out," I say.

"Great, now that that's settled, Triton, Percy? Can I talk to you?" Dad says. We follow him into the basement quietly, and I stand beside Triton, rubbing the back of my neck. "Triton, that was the _last_ straw! I told you that you had to get your act together or else you wouldn't get the company! And what do you do? You get Percy's ex pregnant! Do you _know_ how much child support we're going to have to pay?" Dad yells.

"Dad. Rachel doesn't need our money. She's a Dare. She's set for life," I say.

"You got the _heiress of Dare Enterprises pregnant?_ " Dad screeches.

"Umm, yes?" Triton says.

"I always figured that Rachel would get pregnant before she graduated college, but I didn't expect it to be my brother's child," I say.

" _What?_ You _knew_ this was coming? And you didn't say _anything_?" Dad yells.

"I didn't _know_ per se, but I kind of expected something like this to catch up with her. She'd sleep with any guy that walked, to be completely honest. While we were dating, she cheated on me with the entire soccer team at the other school in town, a douchebag named Octavian, and probably so many other guys," I shrug.

"And that didn't bother you? Not a bit?" Dad says.

"Deep down, I guess it did at the time, but I'm used to disappointment. Now, I don't really care. I mean, yeah, I wasted six months of my life trapped in a relationship that I never quite wanted, but in the end, I'm pretty happy with how my life has been going since then. Rach has kind of been in a downward spiral since I broke up with her, if the rumors of what she's done at parties are true," I shrug.

"I think they're true," Triton says.

"Woah. I just realized that I've made a habit of dating heiresses." I say. Triton raises an eyebrow. "Annabeth's heir to Athena's architecture company, along with her older brother." I say, scratching at a scar on my arm.

"Anyways, Triton, as of right now, you are no longer inheriting the company. You'll get your share of the inheritance when you turn eighteen, but Percy will be responsible for the company now," dad says. I frown.

"And what about what _Percy_ wants? Did you ever think of that? You can't just spring this kind of stuff on someone! The kid's got his own plans for the future!" Triton says.

"I'll be fine. Like I said, I'm used to disappointment. Anyways, I'm heading back to bed," I sigh, before climbing the two flights of steps to my bedroom and collapsing onto my bed.

(Rachel's POV)

I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling with a hand on my stomach. _How could this happen to me? I'm supposed to become the president of Dare Enterprises, not some poor teen mom!_ I think back to the first day of high school. If somebody would have told me that I'd be pregnant at age sixteen, I'd have called them crazy, yet here I am. _Maybe that's why Percy broke up with you and left the popular group for those pop princesses_. Annabeth's got that boy wrapped around her little finger. They're the group everyone is watching, and they don't even acknowledge it. The girls are all pretty in different ways, and you can tell that they don't care what others think of them. Annabeth's pretty, in a striking sort of way. Her eyes are huge compared to the rest of her face, and if you get close enough, you can see little freckles all over her skin. Her body is eternally tanned, and she walks with the grace of a princess. People say that she even looks like a princess, and there's rumors that she's descended from Norse royalty. Thalia's beautiful in a terrifying way, like destruction from a storm. You want to look away, but you can't. You can practically see the fire in her eyes, although it's not fire, it's more like lightning bolts. When she gets mad, you can practically see the lightning crackling in her eyes. She's Jason's polar opposite, yet the eyes show that they're related. She looks like that sort of badass girl that would rob you if you didn't keep an eye on her. Then there's Piper. Piper's just plain pretty, even though she fights to hide it. I don't really know why. Doesn't she know that being pretty gets you whatever you want? Maybe she does know. Piper's always been a bit _odd_. We found out after she left that her dad is _the_ Tristan McLean. Nobody but her friends knew. Drew called her out on it when she came back.

" _Dumpster Queen, how come you didn't tell us that Tristan McLean is your dad?" Drew says. Piper and Percy turn to face her._

" _We didn't tell them," Percy says, leaning against a locker._

" _What good would it have done?" Piper scoffs, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans._

" _Excuse me? If we'd have known, we'd have stopped-" Drew says._

" _I'm going to stop you right there. Do you even hear how shallow you sound? You'd stop bullying me if you'd known that my dad's an actor? That's exactly why I try not to tell people! I want people to like me because of who I am, not what my father does! I don't need people to just hand me things on a silver platter. I want to earn my place in the world, but I doubt that you would understand that," Piper says. Drew opens and closes her mouth repeatedly, as Piper and Percy walk away._

" _Cartoon marathon at my place?" Percy says._

" _You're on," Piper says._

Then there's Hazel. Hazel's cute, with her too wide grins and wide gold eyes, and her hair seems to have a mind of its own most days, like mine does. Hazel tends to shuffle through the halls, trying to blend in, but that's nearly impossible now that she's famous. Then there's the last girl in their group, Calypso. She's pretty in a natural way, like a flower garden or something. She gets this twinkle in her eyes when she talks of her old town and gardening. I could go on for days about the guys, and how cute I think the gap between Percy's two front teeth is, but I can hear my father coming up to my room.

(Annabeth's POV)

I sit on the edge of the bed and zip up my boots as Thalia shoves the last of her things into her suitcase.

"I'm going to miss them," she says, looking at her feet.

"Me too, but they're coming out for two weeks over the summer," I say.

"Yeah. We're going to see them soon," she says, packing our luggage into the back of the rental van. Piper yawns and wraps her blanket tighter around her body. I'm thankful that there aren't any paparazzi around this early in the morning, because we're all in various states of disarray.

"Look how far we've come over the last year," Hazel says.

"This time last year, we were still trying to work up the courage to ask our crushes out, and now look at us," Piper says.

"I've got everything I could ever want," I sigh.

"Same," Thalia says.

"Where do we go from here?" I say.

"What?" Hazel says.

"I mean it. What do we do when this is over? Who were we before the Sirens? Do we go back to that, or do we split up and go solo? What do we do for college?" I say.

"I could never go solo. I can't do this without you," Thalia says. I nod.

"As much as I love music, I love you guys more. Doing this without you would be like missing a part of myself," Piper says.

"I like being invisible, so I could never be onstage by myself," Hazel says.

"Honestly, when we're done, I just want to be normal again," I sigh. The girls nod.

"I've been thinking. We need to rework our schedules to make this whole thing work," Piper says.

"Yeah," Hazel sighs.

"How about we do a Music Monday, Teambuilding Tuesday, Wacky Wednesday, Teamwork Thursday, and Friendship Friday?" Piper says.

"And _what_ on God's green earth are any of those things?" Thalia says.

"Music Monday is basically a day devoted to songwriting and editing, Teambuilding Tuesday is a bunch of exercises designed to strengthen our group dynamic, Wacky Wednesday is basically a girls' night where somebody different picks what we do each week, Teamwork Thursday is just working together on something different each week, and Friendship Friday is focused on strengthening our friendships. Any questions?" Piper says. I raise an eyebrow as I scratch a spot behind my ear.

"When do we start?" Thalia says.

"I vote the new year. I'm beyond swamped right now, and I have a family reunion today," I sigh. Piper winces.

"Which side?" Hazel says as I pull my hair up into a bun.

"Dad and Susan. Neither side really likes me besides my cousin Magnus," I sigh.

"Who cares what they think of you, okay? You have people who like you. _We_ like you. _Percy_ loves you. Can't you understand just how awesome you are? If they can't see that, then that's their problem," Piper says.

"And Mom's staying in my old room for the holidays, so she'll be there," I say, gritting my teeth.

"That's rough," Thalia says.

"Are you guys at least _talking_ to each other?" Hazel says.

"Yes. No. I mean, I don't know!" I say.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Piper says, rubbing circles on my back.

"It's just… hard, you know? He pretends that it doesn't bother him, but I _know_ that it does. He's done nothing to make Mom hate him, but she won't even give him a chance! That's all he really wants. Just a chance to prove that he's good enough. His dad gave me a chance, but my mom refuses. Oh, gosh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bother you with my silly issues," I say.

"It's okay. We all need to vent sometimes," Thalia says. A car pulls into the parking lot, and our friends climb out.

"Hey guys," Kayla says. Her hair is tucked under a baseball cap, but I can tell that she hasn't brushed it today. Paolo yawns.

"Do you guys _have_ to leave?" Lester says.

"You know we have to," Hazel says, pulling Sammy's jacket tighter around her body.

"I know. Just, be careful, okay? We just lost Sammy. I can't lose any of you too," Austin says.

"You're coming out this summer, right?" Piper says.

"Of course! We can't wait to see where you grew up!" Kayla says. Paolo nods.

"We are umm, how you say, excited? Yes, we are excited to meet your friends," he says. Thalia's smile disappears and she sighs.

"What's wrong Thals?" Hazel says.

"It just hit me that Jason and I turn seventeen tomorrow, and my mom's going to miss it," Thalia says. Piper and I exchange a look.

 _I thought you got her out?_ I mouth.

 _I got permission to get her out for the party. Silena's picking her up while Nico and I distract Thalia and Jason,_ she mouths. I grin.

"We've got to go," Beckendorf says.

"Bye guys! Happy early birthday Thals!" Kayla says. We hug our friends then climb into the car. We wave as the car drives off. My phone buzzes.

 _Hey girls! So this is the bridesmaids group chat! When you get this, can you state your name and how you know me/ Grover?_ Juniper says.

 _Hey guys, I'm Annabeth. Yes, the famous pop star Annabeth. Grover was my babysitter growing up, and my friend and I helped him ask Juni out_ , I send.

 _Juni, why didn't you tell us that you knew THE Annabeth Chase?_ One girl says.

 _Oh, um, I'd rather not be reminded of my fame right now. This isn't about me. It's about my two friends finally getting married. Oh, and Grover owes Percy and I fifty bucks each. We so called it before he asked you out_ , I _say._

 _Anyways, I'm Blue. my real name's Blueberry, but I hate that name, so please don't call me that. Juni's my sister,_ another girl says.

 _I'm Babette. Juni and I were roommates in college_ , the girl from earlier says.

 _I'm Trixie. I was one of Juni's best friends from college_ , another girl says.

 _I'm Fleecy. Juni, Grover and I organized the massive recycling project within the Triptolemus School of Agriculture together_ , the last girl says.

 _Girls, Grover and I were thinking about having a green themed wedding, with green dresses for you. Is that okay?_ Juniper says.

 _It's your wedding. Do what you think is best._ I say.

 _Well, I found a bunch of dresses that are all the same color and length, but the tops are different. You can pick whatever one you want. There's a one strap, two strap, and a strapless option. Hang on, I'll send pictures of each option_ , Juniper says.

 _Ooh they're gorgeous!_ Blue says.

 _You all need to be measured for them. I've set up a dress testing thingy for Martin Luther King weekend so you can all hopefully make it. I'll send you the address. That same weekend, I've scheduled a dress fitting for myself. I need you guys to offer your opinions on dresses. Bring tissues, since my mother and future mother in law are coming,_ Juniper says.

 _Nice_ , I say, before turning off my phone and pulling out my songbook. Thalia's fast asleep against the window, so I start working on the song for her birthday. I pass it to Piper, who scrawls down a few guitar chords at the top near the title, and then she passes it to Hazel, who neatly writes in her notes and chords in the little spaces in between the lines.

"Annabeth," Piper whispers.

"Yeah?" I mutter, rubbing my eyes.

"Have you been eating or sleeping?" she says.

"Umm," I say.

"Annie, you have to sleep. I _know_ you. When something bad happens, you tend to hyperfocus. You don't get enough to eat and not enough sleep," she mutters.

"I've been eating, but anytime I go to sleep, I have nightmares. Seeing your boyfriend covered in his own blood and collapsing from blood loss is pretty traumatic. I _try_ so hard, but I'm going to have to confront Gabe in court, since we have to be on the witness stand. Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and can't remember if Percy's even alive," I choke out. Piper winces, then goes silent. We sit silently for a long time, and the car pulls into the parking lot.

"Alright girls. We'll see you tomorrow. Can you check in on Leo?" Silena says, twisting around the ring on her finger.

"Woah, Sil! Nice rock!" Piper says.

"Wait, that's your left ring finger. Did he-" I say. Silena nods. Piper squeals, and Thalia jumps.

"Huh? What?" Thalia says.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Hazel says quietly. We climb out of the car, grab our bags, and walk into the lot. There are paparazzi surrounding the plane. I wince. _Okay Annabeth. You can do this. Just keep your head high._

(Paul's POV)

I pretend not to see the tension between Percy, Poseidon, and Triton. I can see the scars across Percy's back, but he doesn't seem to mind anymore. Neither do his friends. The scars are just a part of who he is.

 _I push open the door to the house. It's the middle of a heat wave, and our air conditioner is broken. Percy and Annabeth are on the floor in the living room. It's so hot that neither is wearing a shirt. Annabeth's head is on his stomach, and she's reading a book. Their faces are both flushed, although I can't tell if it's from the heat or just the fact that they're so close to each other._

" _Can you believe that we're going to be done with freshman year soon?" Percy says. Annabeth hums absentmindedly._

" _No. It's all gone so fast," she says._

" _I wish it would all slow down," he says._

" _Things are only going to speed up from here. We're leaving freshman year now, and before we know it, we're going to graduate. I want it to slow down too, but it won't. We just have to make the most of this time," she sighs. Percy twirls one of her curls around his finger._

" _Hey, we're still going to be friends after graduation, right?" He mutters._

" _Of course! You're stuck with me for life Seaweed Brain!" She says._

" _You excited for the end of the year dance?" He says._

" _Nope. It's girls' choice, and I'm freaking out," she sighs._

" _Any guy would be lucky to go with you," he says. Annabeth rolls her eyes._

" _Percy, I'm the most unpopular girl in the school. We're literally outcasts. Nobody's going to go with me, even if I begged. How many people asked you?" she sighs, putting her book down._

" _Seventeen," he says._

" _Better make that eighteen. Rachel's asking you tomorrow. She came up to me, punched me in the stomach, and said that she was 'going to steal my boyfriend right out from under me'. I hate her so much," she mutters._

" _Rachel doesn't like me!" He says._

" _Seaweed Brain, you're the most oblivious boy I've ever met," Annabeth says, tracing her hand over a jagged scar on Percy's stomach._

" _Hey, I'll go with you. We're all going together anyways. Rachel's going to have to find someone else," he says. Annabeth sits up and her spine cracks. I wave awkwardly._

" _Oh, good afternoon Mr Blofis!" She says. Percy sits up._

" _Hey Paul. How long have you been here?" he says._

" _I'm going to get more ice," Annabeth says, getting up. There's a scar across her back, and quite a few bruises on her torso and legs. There are callouses all over her hands. She winces._

" _Rough practice? I'll get some extra ice for your feet," Percy says, getting to his feet._

" _I'm going to go try to get some grading done," I say._

" _The basement's pretty cold. Sally's down there," Annabeth says, cracking her knuckles._

" _Thanks," I say, before starting down the hallway. I can hear Percy plop down next to Annabeth._

" _So, I've got an extra ticket for my recital. Do you wanna go?" she says. I can't hear Percy's response._

Sally's got the scars too. When I first came home with Sally, I realized just how strong Percy had to be. That look in his eyes was _terrifying_. His eyes were swirling like storms, and he looked right through me. Sally said that he'd been like that with adult figures since he was twelve, but I could see the way his eyes softened when he looked at his friends. He's pretty protective of them, and they're pretty protective of him.

 _I catch a glimpse of a scar making its way from under the collar of his shirt and up the side of his neck. Frank and Jason shift so that they're closer to him. It's a subtle change, but I can see that they've had to do that before. Annabeth squeezes his hand from where she sits beside him, making him look down at her. All the tension leaves his shoulders as she shakes her head. Piper scoots behind him to cover his back, and Thalia and Nico survey the room, looking for escape routes._

" _It's okay Percy. He's not like Gabe," Sally says. In that moment, a sigh of relief sweeps through the group of teens, and they go back to their game_.

" _So who is he then?" Percy says, putting down the cards in his hand._

" _This is Paul. We met at a creative writing seminar," Sally says, tucking her hair behind her ear. Percy stretches, and I can see his shirt ride up to reveal more scars._

" _Alright," he says, standing up. He's about an inch or two shorter than me._

" _I've seen you around before," he says, looking me up and down. I shiver._

" _He teaches at Goode," Sally says._

" _I saw him during orientation, and I saw you with him at the library once," he says._

" _So Paul, this is Percy, my son. Over there is Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, Hazel, Frank, Jason, Piper, and Leo," Sally says._

" _Nice to meet you," I say._

" _You too," Percy says, before sitting down._

" _So, umm," I start._

" _Oh! The other eight aren't mine, technically. They're Percy's best friends, but we've known them for so long that they're practically family," Sally says. I nod._

" _Okay," I say._

" _Why don't we head outside to talk?" Sally says. I follow her out to the front yard, where we sit on the porch swing, watching cars go by._

" _So, Annabeth's Percy's girlfriend, right?" I say._

" _Nope. She's his best friend in the whole world. I can tell that they both like each other, but nobody's saying anything and it's driving me crazy!" Sally says._

" _They'll figure it out," I say, shuddering in remembrance of Annabeth and Percy's matching glares._

" _Paul, there's one thing you have to understand about Percy. He's had a rough life. The only constants he's had in his life are his friends and I," Sally says._

" _What about his dad?" I say._

" _His dad skipped town about a month after I met him. He had another family across the country. We didn't get anything from him for twelve years," Sally scoffs._

" _Poor kid," I mutter._

" _I had to marry this awful man so we could afford to stay here. His name was Gabe, but Percy called him Smelly Gabe. It was pretty accurate, since the man stunk of cigars, alcohol, pizza, and sweat. He was okay for the first few days, then he just… snapped. He would beat Percy and tell him that if he told me, I would be killed. He'd do the same to me. We couldn't leave because we had nowhere to go. Anywhere we went, Gabe could find us. When things got really bad, Percy would stay with friends for a night or two. One day, I walked in on Gabe beating my baby boy with a beer bottle while Percy lay unconscious in his own blood. I had to call 911 then, and it was the worst thing I ever had to do. He's never quite been the same after that. None of us have. There are days where the only person who can calm him down is Annabeth, but she's just a fourteen year old girl, and there's only so much she can do," she sobs._

" _That explains why she's always holding his hand," I say._

" _Yeah. A lot of the time, Percy feels like he's alone, especially when he has a flashback. When he gets like that, it's best to hold onto him, since he can feel contact, even if he can't see it at the time," she says, wiping at her eyes. I sigh and wrap my arm around her shoulders._

" _Hey, look at me. You're okay. Percy's okay," I say._

" _Sometimes I wonder if I've been a good mother," she sniffles._

" _You have been a good mother Sally. Percy's a wonderful boy, and you're a wonderful mother," I sigh. She leans on my shoulder._

" _Thanks Paul," she says._

" _No problem," I say._

His eyes still look like hurricanes when he's angry. In all my years of teaching, I've _never_ seen a child that could glare like he can. Annabeth's glare is almost as terrifying. When she's mad, her eyes look like storm clouds, swirling around and around like a tornado. I yawn. _I need to go back to sleep._

(Percy's POV)

I sit up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. The light shines in through my window. My phone buzzes. A picture of Annabeth sipping coffee from a blue mug is on the screen.

"Hello?" I say.

"You just woke up didn't you?" Annabeth sighs.

"How'd you know?" I say.

"When you just wake up, you talk a lot slower and your voice is deeper," she says.

"Sorry," I say.

"Don't be. If we're being honest here, I find it cute," she says. I feel my face heat up.

"So what's up?" I say, before clearing my throat.

"We're on the plane right now. We're taking off in five minutes. Just wanted to let you know. I'll see you when we get back, okay?" She says.

"Okay," I grin.

"So, what's been up with you?" she says.

"I'll tell you when I pick you up," I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Alright," she says.

"Wait, you're going to be home earlier than expected? Maybe we could hang out for a while," I smirk.

"What's your game here Jackson?" she deadpans.

"Nothing! I just want to hang out with my beautiful girlfriend!" I say.

"Flattery gets you nowhere. So, what's _really_ going on?" she says.

"Fine, you got me. I just need to get out of this madhouse. Triton screwed up again, and all the adults have gone into crisis mode. It's gotten _insane_. The only one who doesn't know what's happening is Tyson. I just need to get out," I say.

"What'd he do this time? Unless- _no. No. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Did he_?" she says.

"Do what?" I say.

"Get Rachel Elizabeth Dare _pregnant_?" She says.

"Yep," I groan.

"Oh my god. You gotta get out of there. When we come home, I'm taking you out for lunch. We need to work this out," she says.

"Well, I'm assuming that you need to go soon. I love you," I say.

"I love you too," she says before hanging up. I sigh and go take a shower to wake myself up.

"Hey mom," I say, walking down the stairs after getting dressed.

"Hi Percy, how are you?" She asks with a frown.

"Honestly, stressed," I say.

"I am too," she says.

"I'm going to have a new sibling, and a niece or nephew. The latter is my ex girlfriend's kid. I'm so _confused_ ," I say, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Being a teenager is a confusing time," Mom deadpans. I give her a withering look.

"I _know_. My life's been a mess since I was a kid," I shrug.

"I'm sorry," she says. Amphitrite comes into the room.

"I'm sixteen, and I'll be raising a kid that isn't mine at seventeen because my older half brother couldn't get his shit together. I don't even know _how_ I got here," I say. I hear Tyson stir in the other room.

"Do we tell him?" Amphitrite asks.

"I'll do it if you don't want to be the one to do it," I say. Tyson skips into the room.

"Good morning Mommy! Good morning Mrs Sally! Good morning Percy!" He chirps.

"Hey big guy," I yawn.

"Tyson, I have something to tell you," Amphitrite says.

"What is it?" He asks, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Well, Triton's going to be a dad," Amphitrite says. Mom leans over to me.

"If you pull something like this before you've graduated high school, I'm going to kill you," she whispers.

"Mom, if I pulled something like that, I think _Annabeth_ would skin me alive," I whisper back.

"-thought only adults could be parents!" Tyson says. I snigger and cover my mouth.

"Triton's just _special_ ," I deadpan. Amphitrite glares at me over Tyson's head.

"Does being special run in the family?" Tyson says.

"I got this one. Maybe. We don't know yet. Triton's child is more likely to be special now," I say.

"Why?" he says.

"Children often try to recreate their home life for their kids. For example, I'm more likely to be an absent father than you are. Wait, that's a bad example. Because Triton started having kids earlier than expected, those kids are more likely to have kids earlier than expected, and so on. We aren't at as much of a risk as they are," I say, shuddering.

"Oh, okay!" He says.

"M-Mom? Can I talk to you? Alone?" I say.

"Sure," she says. We walk into my room, and I curl up in my desk chair.

"I'm terrified," I say, with my head between my knees.

"Why?" She asks, rubbing circles on my back.

"I'm going to hurt the people I care about," I say. My voice cracks pitifully.

"No you aren't. You're a good boy," she says. My vision starts to blur with tears.

"I'm more likely to be a horrible father and partner than anyone else in this family," I sob.

"Shh," she says.

"It's true! Kids subconsciously recreate their home lives as adults! I didn't have my first good father figure until I was fourteen," I say. Tears are pooling on the chair.

"Percy, you aren't going to be an awful person," she says.

"I-I don't want to hurt any-anyone. I c-can't be like him," I stammer.

" _Breathe_. You aren't going to be like Gabe," she sighs.

"And what's my alternative? Being a deadbeat Dad who forgets about his kids for most of their formative years?" I scoff.

"Percy-" she starts.

"I can't do that. I couldn't do that to Annabeth, or anyone else that could come along. I just… I'm terrified. I see all the popular people drinking, and I want to fit in, but I can't. What if I hurt somebody like Gabe did? I'd never be able to live with myself," I say, shaking slightly.

"You won't hurt anyone. You're too much like your father and I to do that. When Gabe looked at us, I don't think that I _ever_ saw love in his eyes, but I see how you act around your friends and around us. If that's not love, I don't know what is. Look honey. You may have grown up near a monster, but you'll never become him because you learned to forgive and love, while he never did. Percy, you won't be like Gabe," she says. I grit my teeth and try to calm down. _I can't be like him. I never want to hurt the people I care about._

"Thanks Mom," I mutter.

"I'm going to go make some cookies for Annabeth. She's coming home later today, right?" she asks. I nod. "Great!" She walks out of the room, and I turn on my computer. I stare blankly at the bright screen, then decide to transfer pictures from my phone to the computer. There's a picture of Piper and Leo the time they switched clothes for a bet, a picture of Thalia trying to balance on the top of the couch, a picture of Jason when he tangled his arm in the net while trying to slam dunk, a picture of Frank in full football uniform, a picture of Calypso weaving flowers through her hair, a picture of Hazel and Nico standing on top of a huge pile of dirt at that construction site outside of town, then a picture of Annabeth reading by the creek near her old house. I smile, then cringe at the next picture. Rachel is holding my phone and kissing me. My eyes are wide open in shock, while hers are closed. I shudder, and silently delete the picture. I'm so thankful that Rachel wasn't my first kiss, so I don't have to remember how _off_ it felt when I kissed her.

" _Let's play spin the bottle you guys." a sophomore says, holding up an empty beer bottle. I shrug and join the circle with Annabeth. It's the first party that I was invited to, and I brought Annabeth along so we could find out if the party scene at Goode was worth it. She's sleeping over at my house tonight after we leave. "Okay, to make this a bit more interesting, we're going to ask whoever the bottle lands on to leave the room while we decide if they're going to be punched or kissed. The person to my left will spin first. Got it?" We nod. Annabeth has first spin. She grabs the bottle and spins it. I watch it go around and around, then slow to a stop in front of me. Annabeth groans. I frown._

" _Alright. Umm, I'll be behind that door over there," I say, getting to my feet. I shuffle behind the door and slump against the wall, fearing what could happen. On one hand, Annabeth might kiss me. I'd be okay with it, but what if she doesn't like me like that? On the other, she might punch me, and then I'd have to deal with her apologizing. This looks to be a lose lose situation._

" _Hey, come back in!" A senior slurs. I follow him in, and sit down next to Annabeth again. She bites her lip and looks away._

" _Get on with it already!" somebody says. Annabeth glares at me like she's going to punch me. Then she did something that surprised me even more. She kissed me._

" _Err, um… well, who's next?" I say, after she pulls away. My phone buzzes in my pocket. "My mom's calling to check in on me. I'll be outside." I go out the front door and answer. "Hello?"_

" _Percy, where are you and Annabeth?" mom says._

" _We're uh, at the swim team captain's house," I blurt out._

" _I thought you were out getting pizza?" Mom says suspiciously._

" _We, um ran into him while we were there and he invited us over. It's only a fifteen minute walk home from here. We're heading out soon," I say._

" _I expect you home in twenty minutes," Mom says._

" _Alright, bye." I say, hanging up. "Oh shit!" I run inside and grab my coat._

" _What's up Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth yells, holding a cup of something._

" _Mom called. She wants us home in twenty minutes. We gotta go!" I say. Annabeth grabs her coat, drops her drink in the bathroom sink, and runs out the door. I follow, and we sprint down the darkened street. I can barely see Annabeth anymore."Wise Girl, wait up!" I say. The sound of her boots hitting the pavement stops. I catch up to her, and then we start walking._

" _So, um. About the uh, you know, um-" I stammer. Annabeth tucks her hands into her pockets._

" _Kiss?" She interrupts._

" _Well, um, yeah. About the kiss," I say._

" _Err, umm, it was a tie for what I should do, and I know how many bad memories you have with alcohol and getting hit, so I thought that you might like a good memory," she stammers._

" _T-thanks," I say._

" _I vote we don't include this in the party recap tomorrow," she says._

" _Agreed," I say. We turn the corner onto my street and start whispering._

" _Wait. In middle school, we said that we'd have a party every time somebody had their first kiss," Annabeth whispers._

" _Was that serious?" I say._

" _I have no clue," she says. We walk up the porch steps, and I open the door._

" _We're home mom!" I shout. She walks out of the kitchen and stops in front of us. She's wearing a dress for whatever reason._

" _Did you two have fun together?" she asks. Annabeth and I glance at each other and look away, blushing._

" _Err, yeah," Annabeth says._

" _Who all was there?" Mom asks._

" _Um, you know, people," I shrug._

" _Annabeth, your overnight things are on my bed," Mom says. Annabeth hums and disappears upstairs._

" _Mom, what's with the dress?" I say, starting to walk upstairs._

" _Paul's taking me out to dinner," she says. I walk into my room, throw on some pajamas, and head back 's wearing an oversized gray sweatshirt and a pair of short shorts. Her hair is up in a messy bun, and I hear her talking to my mom._

" _Thanks for helping me out Annabeth," Mom says._

" _No problem Sally! And you don't need to worry about us, we're probably going to play video games all night!" Annabeth chirps. The doorbell rings. I sigh and go to answer it._

" _Oh, um hi Mr Blofis," I say, tugging on the hem of my shirt._

" _Hi Percy. Is your mother ready?" He says._

" _Just a moment!" Annabeth calls, running out of the bathroom and upstairs._

" _Good. So, I wanted to talk to you," he says._

" _What's up?" I say._

" _I wanted to know if it's okay with you if I proposed to your mother," he says. I think back to how happy Mom has looked since she started dating Paul, and I smile._

" _Typically you ask the father these things, not her son," I say. Annabeth runs back downstairs._

" _So, what do you say?" He says._

" _Go ahead, but can I make a request?" I say._

" _Why not?" He laughs._

" _Can I keep my last name? Percy Blofis just isn't my style," I say._

" _Deal," he says. Mom and Annabeth come of the bathroom._

" _Have fun on your date Sally!" Annabeth says._

" _Thanks again sweetheart," Mom says._

" _Hi Sally," Paul says. She takes his hand and they walk towards the door._

" _Oh!" Mom says, sticking her free arm up in the air. I grab her purse off the table and toss it to her. "Thanks."_

" _Bye Mom. Make good choices, alright?" I say._

" _I will," she says. The door closes._

I grin and glance at the clock. The smell of cookies wafts upstairs. I click delete on the next picture and breathe a sigh of relief. I felt so lost for the longest time after the girls left. Annabeth was my rock, the one constant in the hurricane that I call a life, and without her, it felt quite a bit like drowning. When she came back, I felt like I was whole again. Even when I was with Rachel, I just wanted to be near Annabeth. Rachel would constantly yell at me for it too.

" _Percy, Annabeth is gone! Stop being so hung up on her! She isn't coming back! You don't need her! You have me!" Rachel screams._

" _You think I don't know that? You think I don't know that she's gone? I do! Annabeth was my best friend for fourteen years! I've known her almost my whole life! And I'm trying, okay? I lost five friends within a four day span! I'm still trying to adjust to life knowing that Leo's dead and the girls are across the country, okay? I don't think you understand, RED! I lost everything when the girls left! None of us have been the same! Jason and Nico lost their sisters, and we lost our friends. Have you even seen Nico recently? He lost his two sisters, and he's all alone! But you don't see it, do you? You're more concerned with your popularity than you are with how we feel! Sometimes I feel like I'm just your arm candy, not your boyfriend!" I yell._

" _That's not true and you know it!" She screams._

" _Sure feels that way to me," I scoff._

" _You know what? You've been like this ever since we got together, and I'm sick of it! Get over that bitch!" Rachel yells._

" _Don't you ever call Annabeth a bitch again, do you hear me?" I growl. I start pacing back and forth. "For as long as I can remember, it was me and Annabeth against the world. We had the others, but we had the strongest bond. Well, non related bond. Anyways, we'd do anything for each other. I would only get into fights if I knew that she had my back. She was the same way. We were each other's right hand man. Err, well, woman in her case. I haven't done anything risky without her. Now she's gone, and I'm alone. I don't know what to do now, since I'm so used to Annabeth being right behind me. When I turn around, expecting to see her, there's nobody. And that's terrifying."_

"Percy, you should probably head out!" Mom calls. I grab a hat off the floor and pull it over my head before running downstairs. Mom hands me a Tupperware container full of cookies as I pass by her. Triton grunts as I walk out the door. The car ride is quiet, except for some classic rock station that I don't really pay attention to. Thoughts swirl around in my head, mainly of Triton and Rachel, but some of them are of my friends, and how they'll react to the insane curveball life just threw at me. Honestly, I don't know how to handle it. My girlfriend's bully is pregnant with my niece or nephew. _Oh god._ As the airport comes into view, I think of the way Tyson's eyes light up when he smiles. My phone buzzes as I pull into the lot. _Come pick us up near baggage claim C_ , Annabeth says. I start heading for the baggage claim and I park. I hurry over to Jason and Nico, who are talking to a man with dark hair and sunglasses on.

"Hey Jay," I say, tugging on the sleeve of my jacket.

"Is that _Percy_? Wow, look at how much you've grown!" The man in sunglasses says. I recognize his voice. He sounds sort of like Piper's dad.

"Mr McLean, what are you doing here?" I say.

"I got back yesterday, and I wanted to spend the holidays with my daughter," he says, taking his sunglasses off. His dark eyes twinkle in the sunlight. He shivers as a cold wind blows.

"Not used to the weather?" I say, raising an eyebrow.

"When do you think the girls will be back?" Nico interrupts.

"Why, missing your _girlfriend_?" Jason says.

"Oh shut up! Like you don't miss the girls too! And what about Percy, huh? He's got a girlfriend too! I bet he misses her!" Nico says.

"Woah, do _not_ drag me into this. Oh wait, I have something to tell you!" I say.

"What is it?" Jason says.

"Well, Rachel's pregnant," I shrug.

" _What_? Rachel Elizabeth Dare?" Jason says.

"Who's the dad?" Nico says, suddenly serious.

"Oh, that's where things get crazy. The father is _Triton_ ," I say.

"So your-" Jason starts.

"Yep. My ex got knocked up by my idiot older brother," I deadpan.

"Jesus Christ, for a small town, there sure is a lot of drama here," Nico says.

"Understatement of the century," I say.

"I think the girls are coming over to get their luggage now," Jason says, looking through the window.

"So, what's new with you guys?" Mr McLean says.

"Oh, not much. Still skating, still swimming, the usual," I say.

"Same. Still playing soccer, still looking for information on Mom and Bianca. Not much has changed for me," Nico shrugs.

"I've been hanging around. Uh, playing basketball, and that's about it." Jason says, pulling his hat down over his ears. We stand awkwardly in silence for awhile, only snapping out of it when the girls walk outside.

"They're over here!" Thalia says. Hazel's eyes are red and puffy, and she pulls an old brown jacket tighter around her body as the girls come over to us.

"Piper!" Mr McLean says, crushing Piper into a hug.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" She gasps.

"Jason told me that you were coming home today," he says. Annabeth stops in front of me.

"Hey," she says.

"Hey yourself," I say. Her hand slips into mine.

"It's good to be home,"she says. Nico kisses Thalia behind Mr McLean.

"Okay bro, I get that you're dating and all, but can you not make out with my sister in front of me?" Jason says. Annabeth laughs. _God I missed that sound._

"How are you?" She asks.

"Fine," I say.

"You know, I missed you," she whispers, standing on her tiptoes.

"I missed you too," I say, before pressing my lips to hers.

"How come he can make out with his girlfriend, but I can't?" Nico whines.

"Because," Annabeth says, pulling away.

"Piper, I can't wait to spend time with you for these next few weeks!" Mr McLean says. Piper smiles.

"No Jane?" She says.

"No Jane," he says.

"So, Hazel, I've never seen that jacket before. Where'd you get it?" Nico says. Hazel starts tearing up.

"S-Sammy," she says, burying her face in her hands.

"Come on Jason, let's get out of here!" Thalia says.

"We should probably go," Piper says.

"Bye guys," Annabeth says, before we start walking towards my car. Annabeth puts her suitcase in the trunk, and then climbs into the passenger seat.

"How was your trip?" I say, pulling out of the parking spot.

"Okay, I guess. I think we have something else that's much more important to talk about," Annabeth says.

"Yeah. You're looking at the heir to the entire Poseidon Cruiseliner business," I deadpan.

"Aww, Seaweed Brain, I'm so sorry!" she says.

"It's okay. I'm more concerned about the next nine months," I shrug.

"Baby Dare," she shudders.

"That's not all. My mom's about two months pregnant, so I'll be dealing with _two_ screaming infants," I say.

"You poor thing. Is there anything I can do to help?" She says.

"Mom's pretty capable. I mean, she raised me while writing books and running a candy shop! But I could use your help with Rachel," I say.

"I _despise_ Rachel, but I guess she's family now, so I'll try to get along with her," she sighs.

"Yeah, you pretty much are family at this point. You know, my mom described you to Paul's family as her adopted daughter, but not quite," I say. Annabeth giggles.

"We're all family. Honestly, I prefer the family we've created over the one I was born into," she says.

"Still panicking about that family reunion?" I say.

"They hate me! Of course I'm worried!" She says.

"If they don't like you, they're the biggest idiots on the planet. You're amazing, and if I have to, I'll go in there myself to convince them," I say. She laughs.

"My Mom would murder you," she says.

"True," I say.

"Are you okay with waiting for me to get ready at home before dropping me off at Dad's?" she says.

"Yeah, sure! My entire family has been acting _batshit_ crazy since Triton told them. I had enough time to adjust, since Rachel showed up at my door in the middle of the night, but-" I say.

" _Rachel_ was at your house?" Annabeth says, her voice deathly calm.

"Annabeth, don't worry. I'm not interested in Rachel. I love _you_ , remember?" I say.

"Doesn't mean that I can't get nervous." she says. I laugh. "You're laughing at me!"

"Sorry, just remembering how jealous I was of that one guy who was counselor of the Hera cabin back when we worked at that summer camp," I say.

"Camp Half Blood. Good times. Remember that stupid cabin feud? And the counselor chariot race? Or that counselor only party the day before the campers arrived? Or the canoe lake?" She says.

"Thank god they let me eat my birthday cupcake before they threw us in," I say. We turn down Annabeth's street.

"I'm so nervous. My family's _super_ formal. What if they all hate me? What if I make an idiot of myself? What if-" she says. Her hands are shaking.

"You're going to be okay," I say. We pull into her driveway. I follow her in and collapse onto the couch.

"Hold on, I'll be right back," she says. I check on the swim team group chat and remind them that we have a practice in the Yancy Academy pool. There's a loud crash upstairs, and Annabeth curses loudly.

"You okay?" I shout.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" She yells back. A few minutes later she comes downstairs wearing a dress and heels.

"You look nice," I say, rolling up my sleeves.

"Thanks. Ready to go?" She says. I hop off the couch and follow her outside.

"So, you're _sure_ you'll be okay with Helen's family?" I say.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm famous now, so hopefully, I'll be okay. They'll _have_ to be proud of me now!" She says. We arrive at her old house. There are cars everywhere.

"Annabeth, you'll be fine. They're going to love you as much as our friends do. If it gets to be too much, call me, and I'll be here in a few minutes," I say.

"You're the best. Wait, you could come with me!" She says.

"Oh, I couldn't. It's _your_ family, and Athena's there, and I can't just _leave_ Tyson at home while everyone's freaking out. You'll be okay," I say. Annabeth sighs.

"See you later," she says, before pressing her lips to mine.

"Wait, how are you getting home?" I say after she pulls back.

"Malcolm," she says, opening the door.

"Alright. Bye," I say as she climbs out. The door slams behind her, and she walks up to the front door of the house. The door opens about a minute later, and she goes inside. I drive back home and collapse onto my bed.

(Annabeth's POV)

"Annabeth! You're home!" Dad says, opening the door.

"Hey Dad. How are you?" I say.

"Good, how was your trip?" He says.

"Well, it was for a funeral, so not all that great." I say. I feel eyes on the back of my head, and turn around to see Helen's dad.

"Annabeth," he says, his voice cold.

"Hello. Where's everyone else?" I say.

"Annabeth-" dad says.

"What's up?" I say.

"I just feel like I never see you anymore," he says.

"I miss you guys too, but this is the easiest way. This way, you don't get targeted by paparazzi. It stinks, but this is for the twins." I say. I walk into the next room, and see the adults talking over something. They all look up and stare at me blankly. I cringe."uh, hi?" I say with a wave.

"Welcome back Annabeth," my Aunt Natalie says, getting to her feet.

"Auntie Nat!" I say, running towards her.

"We missed you so much sweetheart," she says, wrapping her arms around her.

"I missed you too," I say.

"We're so proud of you," she says as Uncle Frey comes up behind her.

"Yeah kiddo! We didn't know you could sing so well!" Uncle Frey says, patting my shoulder. I grin.

"Thanks. Where are the others?" I say.

"The kids were in the dining room last time I checked," Aunt Natalie says, letting go of me. I walk towards the sound of laughter in the dining room.

"Annie's home!" Bobby says.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Jet lagged beyond belief, but here," I say.

"Oh thank god there's someone around my age here," Magnus says.

"So how's Boston been?" I say.

"Good," he says, typing on his phone. I reach for mine as the doorbell rings. Matthew and Bobby run giggling towards it. Helen's nieces and nephews glare at me as I sit down across from them.

"Look, I know you don't like me because I'm not biologically your aunt's kid, but can't we move past this?" I say.

"Annie your _boyfriend's_ here!" Matthew screeches. Bobby cackles. My face heats up.

"Shut up!" I say, getting to my feet. I stomp out of the room and over to the front door. Percy is standing in the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck. "Percy why are you here?" I say.

"You left your phone in my car," he says.

"Percy! What a surprise! Would you like to stay?" Helen says.

"Oh, Mrs Chase, I couldn't. I wouldn't want to be a bother to anyone," he stammers.

"Nonsense Percy! You're practically family! You've been here longer than I have!" Helen says.

"Come on Percy, stay!" Bobby says.

" _Please please please_ stay!" Matthew says. Percy looks to me for help.

"Guys, I'm sure that Percy would _love_ to stay," I smirk. The twins cheer.

"You're the worst and I hate you," he says.

"Hey, you said you wanted to get away from your family!" I shrug.

"Not by literally climbing into a cage with a rabid bear!" He hisses.

"You mean mom? Oh quit whining, you'll be fine," I say.

"I'm going to die," he groans. I grab his arm and drag him upstairs to my old room.

"It looks so _empty_ ," I whisper.

"Why am I here?" He says.

"Listen to me Seaweed Brain. You are going to go downstairs, charm the socks off my mom, and you are _not_ going to get hurt, understood?" I say.

"But I _hate_ adults," he whines.

"I know, but can you at least _try_?" I say.

"Oh, alright!" He says, taking off his heavy coat.

"Come on! I have to introduce you to everyone!" I say.

"What have I gotten myself into?" He groans. I roll my eyes and grab his hand.

"You're going to be fine, you big baby!" I say before I lead him back down the stairs. My mom is talking to Aunt Natalie and Helen's sister Jill. "Hi Aunt Jill!" I say.

"Annabeth! How was Los Angeles? Oh, and who's this?" Aunt Jill says.

"I'm Percy. It's nice to meet you," Percy says, shaking Aunt Jill's hand.

"I'm Jill," Aunt Jill says.

"Perseus," Mom sneers. Percy cringes.

"Hello ma'am," he says. I grimace.

"Athena! Be nice!" Aunt Jill says.

"Thanks Aunt Jill," I say.

"Why are you in my home?" Mom says.

"Mother, you moved out when I was five. You haven't lived here in over ten years," I deadpan.

"Percy, I'm Annabeth's Aunt Natalie. It's a pleasure to meet you," Aunt Natalie says, extending her hand.

"Likewise," he says, gripping her hand and shaking it once.

"How do you know Annie?" Aunt Jill says.

"We go to school together. I live in the neighborhood too," he says, running a hand through his hair. I glance up at him and smile.

"So why exactly are you here?" Aunt Natalie says.

"I picked Annabeth up from the airport and she left her phone in the car," he shrugs. Aunt Natalie glances down to our intertwined hands.

"Annie! Why didn't you tell us that you had a boyfriend?" Aunt Jill yelps.

"I figured it was common knowledge at this point. I mean, we haven't been the most subtle," I shrug. The twins run in.

"Tommy invited us monster hunting! Can we go? Can we? Can we?" Bobby says.

"Yeah, please?" Matthew says.

"No," I say.

"But why?" Matthew whines.

"It's dark, and cold, and your family is here," Percy says with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, well whatever _Dad_ ," Bobby says, rolling his eyes.

" _Excuse me_?" Mom says.

"You are not leaving this house," I say.

"We were like you two once. After that last fiasco, it's a Chase family rule that nobody goes out into the woods at night! If your sister and I had to follow that rule, so will you," Percy says.

"We never did find Grover's crutch," I say.

"You're not even a Chase! What do you know?" Matthew says.

"Boys! That is enough! Yes, Percy is not an official member of the Chase family, but he's been part of my life longer than the both of you brats combined!" I say.

"Calm down." Percy whispers. I squeeze his hand until his fingers turn purple."okay, ow!" He says, yanking his hand from mine.

"Sorry!" I say.

"'s cool. I've dealt with worse," he says. I grimace and nod as the boys stomp off.

"Now care to explain why Matthew called you 'dad'?" Mom says.

"First, that was Bobby ma'am. Second, if you're insinuating that they're somehow my kids, I was about seven when they were born so no. I've just been about as constant in their life as Fredrick. Sorry, I mean Dr Chase. Annabeth and I were their pseudo parents when Dr and Mrs Chase weren't there." he says. Mom stares at him blankly, then looks him up and down with narrowed eyes. He shivers."Look Athena, I know that you've completely despised me since I was a kid, since I look too much like my father, but I'm _trying_ here." He says.

"Stay away from my daughter," mom deadpans.

"Come on Mom! Just because you hate his father doesn't mean you have to hate him! He's nothing like Poseidon!" I say!

"Bethie, it's fine. I'm used to adults not trusting me. Remember Mr Nicoll?" He says with a pained smile.

"Well in his defense, you did call him an old sot in front of the whole class," I say, thinking of the stories Sammy would tell us about his schools. My vision is becoming blurry with unshed tears.

"Hey, you okay?" Percy says, waving an arm in front of my face.

"I still can't believe that S-Sammy's -" I stammer.

"Shh, shh, I know. Just let it out. It's going to be okay," he says. A few tears drop onto my cheeks, and I choke down a sob.

"Who's Sammy?" Aunt Jill says.

"Her friend who lived out in LA." Percy says as I sob into his shirt. "Hey, hey, hey, you're going to be okay. I know you miss him. We all miss him. Crying over a loss is perfectly healthy. Just let it out." He says, rubbing circles on my back. I sob and sob for a while, until I feel like I've cried out all the water in my body. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." He leads me to the bathroom and lets me splash water onto my face.

"God, I'm a mess," I say.

"No you're not. You can be _messy_ , but you aren't a mess," he says.

"How can you tell?" I say.

"I _know_ you Wise Girl. I know what makes you tick. Wait, that sounds creepy," he chuckles. I clap a hand over my mouth and giggle.

"No, no, I get what you mean. When you've been as close as we have for as long as we have, you notice the little things," I say.

"Exactly!" He says. I wipe at my eyes. "You feeling better?" He says.

"No? Yes? I don't know! It still hurts, you know? I'm still trying to come to terms with it," I say, pulling myself up to sit on the counter.

"I don't know _exactly_ what you're going through, but when you lose someone you care about, it takes time to readjust. I had to go through the same thing that week Leo disappeared. Then you left, and everything went to hell. You know, I dated Rachel to try and get back at you. I knew you didn't like her, but I was angry at you for leaving me behind, so I said yes. Not my finest moment, I'll admit," he says. I snicker.

"You got that right, Seaweed Brain. Let's go deal with my family," I say.

"Glad to see you're feeling better," he mutters as I open the door. I lead back him into the dining room.

"Hey guys, sorry about that," I say. Helen's nieces raise their eyebrows.

"Your eyes are all puffy. Have you been _crying_?" One says. I think her name is Julie or something.

"I'm not in the mood for your judgement right now, okay?" I snap.

"Okay Beth, you need to calm down. I know you're hurting, but lashing out at people isn't going to make you feel any better," Percy says. I sniff, and tap my fingers on the table.

"I still miss him," I say.

"It's only been a few days. Of course you still miss him," Percy says, as I lean onto his shoulder. I hum under my breath and trace shapeless patterns on the table.

"So, what time are you coming over tomorrow?" I say.

"I have no idea. Around eight?" he says.

"Sounds good," I say.

"I can't believe that Thalia and Jason are turning 17," he says.

"It seems like just yesterday that we had that party to celebrate getting out of middle school," I say.

"Don't even. I'm pretty sure I was still in my punk phase," he groans.

"You know, I stole that leather jacket from you. I'm pretty sure it still fits," I say.

"You steal all of my clothes," he grumbles.

"They're warm and have pockets. Of course I stole them," I say.

"So how long have you two known each other?" Magnus says.

"We were friends for about fifteen years, minus the almost year where I was in LA, and we got together about two months ago," I say.

"Do you think Athena still hates me?" Percy says.

"Yes," I deadpan.

"You see, this is the time where you'd say-" he pauses for a moment and clears his throat."'no Percy of course she doesn't hate you! Why would she?'" he says in a rough approximation of my voice.

"I do _not_ sound like that," I say.

"Oh? And what _do_ you sound like?" Percy says.

"I don't know? Uncle Ferdinand?" I say. Percy starts laughing.

"Oh my- remember the statue incident?" He gasps, still laughing.

"Or the Lotus Casino?" I chuckle.

"Or the Crusty's Waterbed Emporium?" He says.

"Man, that was a fun summer," I sigh, wiping tears from my eyes. I sit up straight.

"Yeah, if you enjoy nearly dying," Percy deadpans.

"Can you two stop being gross?" Matthew says. Percy shrugs.

"We could be _so_ much worse," I say.

"Agreed," he says.

"Kids, can you come in for dinner?" Helen calls.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" I ask Percy.

"If it's not too much trouble," he says.

"Well, we're glad to have you," I say.

"I know, I'm just great," he smirks as we start filing into the kitchen.

"Hey, you'd better watch the attitude Jackson. I could _ruin_ you," I deadpan. He rolls his eyes. There's a screech and a loud crash in the kitchen. I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. We join the line of family members and make idle small talk while we load up our plates with food. I can hear my grandfather questioning Dad on why he's allowing me to date.

"Why not Dad?" he says.

"The boy looks like a hoodlum, and he's not like us," grandpa says.

"He's not a hoodlum. He's a sweet kid. And what do you _mean_ 'he's not like us'? His family made their money honestly. His mother's an author and runs the town candy shop, and his father's a teacher. Wait, that's his stepfather. His biological father is the owner of a multimillion dollar cruiseliner company. I may not like the fact that my only daughter is dating, but Percy's good to her, and Helen and I love him as if he's our own son," Dad says.

"Hey, Perce?" I say, bumping against him with my hip.

"What's up?" He says.

"I'm sorry that I dragged you into this. I know that you weren't quite ready to meet my family, but I thought-" I stammer.

"Babe, it's fine. I didn't have anything else to do today," he interrupts. Grandpa strides over to Percy.

"I don't believe we've met. Bob Chase," grandpa says, extending his hand.

"Percy Jackson," Percy says, shaking it.

"I'd like to talk to you about Annabeth, son," Grandpa says.

"What about her?" Percy says.

"You'd better be good to her, boy. She's my baby," Grandpa says.

"Yes sir," Percy says. Uncle Randolph's youngest daughter comes up to me, and I hoist her up onto my hip.

"Gosh! Look how big you've gotten!" I say. The girl giggles.

"Annie! Why you leave?" she says. She's got a little bit of a lisp and she speaks in broken English.

"I wanted to follow my dreams. Do you have any dreams Aubrey?" I say.

"Yes! I wanna be a unicorn!" Aubrey says.

"You're gonna be the greatest unicorn that ever existed," I say, poking her freckled nose.

"Why didn't family like you?" She says. I sigh.

"I don't know why the adults here didn't really like me. They seem to be proud of me now though. Maybe they want money. I don't know," I say.

"Who's he?" she says pointing to Percy.

"That's Percy. He's my friend," I say. He turns around.

"What a cute little girl," he says. Aubrey smiles.

"Aubrey, meet Percy. Percy, this is Aubrey," I say. Aubrey waves, then sticks her tongue out. Percy laughs and sticks his tongue out too. I snicker.

"How'd it go with Grandpa?" I say.

"Basically the same thing Malcolm told me. The whole 'hurt her and you die' routine," he shrugs.

"As if. You're practically family," I scoff. Aubrey yawns and shuts her eyes.

"Remember when we were that young?" he says.

"We got married on the playground with a blue ring pop," I whisper.

"I try to forget that," he says.

"Why?" I say.

"It just doesn't seem as important of a memory compared to other things," he says.

"I miss those days. Do you ever feel like we just grew up too fast?" I sigh.

"Yeah. We're just kids, but we lost that childlike innocence way too soon," he says.

"There's nothing we could do about it," I sigh.

"I miss the days when all we'd worry about was what tree to climb next, or what game to play. We used to always talk about how fun being an adult sounded, but now? I don't know anymore," he says. I hum and sway back and forth like I used to when the twins were young.

"It's the children the world almost breaks who grow up to save it," I say. Percy laughs, an insane cackle, and his well put together facade just _crumbles_. He looks broken and empty, with his eyes dulled and his smile transforming into a grimace.

"If that's true, then I must be freaking _Superman_ ," he deadpans.

"Percy, you're scaring me," I say.

"Oh, right. Sorry. I just-" he says. His mask snaps back into place. Everything is deathly calm.

"I understand. You had a tough childhood. You're still trying to figure out who you are without it." I interrupt, reaching for his hand. His knuckles are scabbed over. "What'd you do to your hand?" I say.

"I punched a wall," he says sheepishly.

"Percy-" I start.

"I know, I know. I had to take anger management classes for years. It was just a moment of weakness, that's all," he says.

"Why'd you do it?" I say softly, biting my lip.

"I got upset when I found out about the whole Rachel thing. It's nothing," he mutters.

"Putting your fist through a wall is not _nothing_ , Percy!" I yell.

"Can you _stop_? I can take care of myself! Stop worrying so much about me, I'll be okay!" He yells.

"Of course I worry! You're my best friend, and you don't seem to understand just how seriously you've been hurt recently! You nearly _died_ , you impulsive little-" I yell back.

"You know what, Annabeth? I'll admit I'm impulsive, and oblivious, but you won't admit how egotistical and prideful you are! You always have to one up _everyone_ at _everything_! Just for once, can't you let someone else win?" He yells, before storming out of the room. I can hear the front door slam a few moments later.

"Oh. Oh god, what have I _done_?" I whisper. I place Aubrey down on the couch and run out the door. I sprint home with tears dripping down my cheeks. I unlock the door and slip inside, before slumping against the door, sobbing into my knees. I hear three sets of footsteps.

"What happened Annie?" Piper says, sitting beside me. I ignore the nickname and start crying into her shoulder.

"I had a really bad fight with Percy, and I don't know what to do," I stammer.

"What was the fight about?" Thalia says, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"I pushed him too hard. H-he put his fist through the wall today and I wanted to know why," I sniff. Hazel places a box of tissues in between my feet.

"So did you guys break up?" Hazel says as I blow my nose.

"I-I don't know!" I wail.

"Take deep breaths. Do you still love him?" Piper says. I nod.

"Then call him! Make sure he knows!" Thalia says. I dial his number. He doesn't answer.

"We're going to find him. You can apologize in person," Hazel says. She grabs the keys to Beckendorf's car and opens the front door.

"Let's check the beach," Piper says. We drive in silence, and I stare straight ahead.

"We're here," Thalia says a few minutes later. I jump out of the car and glance over at the only other car in the lot.

"It's his car. He's here." I say with a smile. I take off running down the path and onto the sand. My heels dig into the sand and slow me down, so I take them off. "Percy? Percy?" I call. A figure about twenty feet away looks up. I turn on the flashlight on my phone and keep going. "Percy!" I say as the light illuminates his face.

"What do you want?" He says.

"I'm so sorry! I know you can handle yourself, and I should stop babying you, but I still worry so much. I love you. I love you _so_ much, and I just… I can't lose you, okay? You may just be the best thing that ever happened to me, and I can't lose you too. _Please_ ," I stammer, burying my face in his shirt.

"I'm sorry too. I've been under a lot of stress lately, and I guess I just took it out on you. I never thought of it from your perspective. I don't want to lose you either. That's why I act the way I do. I'd rather die than lose you, because at least then, I know that I'll never see the world without you," he says.

"You stupid, stupid self sacrificing idiot," I sniff, wiping away a stray tear.

"I guess we just had our first fight, huh?" He says with a watery laugh.

"I guess so," I say.

"Let's not make a habit of it." he says, pressing his lips to my forehead. I grab a fistful of his shirt and pull his lips down to mine. His eyes widen for a second before they flutter shut. My eyes follow. Something cold and wet hits my head. Percy pulls away. "It's raining."

"I heard that kissing in the rain is supposed to be _extremely_ romantic," I smirk, pulling him back in. I can hear shoes crunching in the sand as I bring my arms up and around his shoulders. I feel myself smiling.

"Guys? You'll get sick! Guys! Come- You two are disgusting!" Thalia says. A bright light shines in our faces.

"Thalia, can't this wait?" I groan as Percy runs his hands through my damp hair.

"You're gonna get sick," Hazel says.

"Glad to see that you two made up," Pier says, giving us her umbrella and joining Thalia under hers. I put on my shoes then take Percy's hand as they start to walk away.

"I love you so much. You've made my life so much better just by being here. Thank you," he says. His free hand is on my shoulder, and his thumb rubs my collarbone.

"I love you too. But I'm scared," I murmur.

"Of what?" He says.

"How vulnerable we are. You nearly died, and I have next to no say in whether I stay in town or move back to LA. I don't want to go back. I want to stay with you, and Jason, and Callie, and Frank, and Nico, and I can't just _force_ Leo to pack up and move. I just found home again. I don't want to leave it," I say.

"You don't have to leave. We're always going to be there with you, every step of the way," he says. I smile.

"For the record, I think you'll make a great businessman," I say softly, running a thumb over the mole under his eye. He laughs.

"Since I'm taking over, I've got to spend a month in California every summer to learn the ropes," he sighs.

"Okay. The label wants us to spend six weeks in LA recording music. We'll make it work," I say.

"I want it to work," he murmurs, kissing me between each word.

"Why me?" I murmur.

"Huh?" He says.

"I mean, why'd you pick me? You'd have your pick of any girl in town if you wanted. Why'd you pick plain old me?" I say. He laughs.

"Wow. You have no idea just how beautiful you are," he chuckles.

"Yeah right. What do you even see in me anyways?" I scoff, crossing my arms.

"I see everything. I see how smart you are, how pretty you are, how funny you are, and so much more. I know that deep inside of you is a little girl with a big voice and even bigger dreams," he says. I choke up.

"That might be the sweetest thing that anyone's ever said to me," I sniffle.

"It's the truth. You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen. It makes me wonder what you'd possibly want with me," he says, wiping a tear from my cheek.

"Don't you _ever_ talk like that. It's wrong. You're worth so much more than you know," I say.

"Sorry," he mumbles.

"Do you want to come over? We can do some minor setup for the party tomorrow," I say.

"Sure," he shrugs.

"We probably should go," I say.

"I guess so," he says.

"Meet you back at the house?" I say.

"Yeah." he says. I turn. "Oh, before I forget! We're scheduled to visit Gabe on the 27th."

"Why?" I say.

"They're asking him a bunch of questions so he doesn't have as much time on the witness stand. We're invited to ask questions about what happened," he says.

"I'll do it. But you have to be there with me the whole time. I need someone to keep me from kicking that monster's ass," I say. He laughs.

"See you in a few minutes," he says. We separate and sprint to our respective cars in the cold rain.


	21. Saying Goodbye to our Innocence

Chap 21

(Hazel's POV)

"Hey guys, I'm going over to Reyna's place tonight so we can make a game plan for the New Year," Thalia says. Annabeth sighs and stares out the window.

"Sure. Just leave Rachel out of it," Annabeth says.

"Are you insane? Why?" Piper says.

"Well, Rachel's pregnant," Annabeth sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"What?" I yelp.

"Yeah. It's Triton's," Annabeth says.

"Doesn't Triton have to go back to California?" Piper says.

"Yeah," Annabeth says.

"So who's going to raise this kid? Rachel doesn't seem like _parent_ material," I say.

"Who do we know that's annoyingly loyal to his family, has a heart too big for his own good, and happens to have history with both the mother and father?" Annabeth deadpans.

"Percy?" Thalia says. Annabeth nods, then snaps her fingers.

"I just got a snippet of a lyric," she says.

"What is it?" I say.

"We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time. It's miserable and magical," she says.

"Do you ever think about what life would be like if we never got famous?" Piper says.

"Well, it'd be quieter," I chuckle.

"We'd still live with our families," Annabeth says sadly. I know that deep down, she misses her family.

"Everything has changed," Thalia says.

"Do you ever think about the way things used to be?" I say.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Annabeth says.

"Okay, let's change the subject. What's something that we don't know about you?" Thalia says.

"Oh, um I'll go first. I wanted to be an archaeologist when I grew up," I say.

"Err, um… I used to tell Cherokee fables on my Granddad's reservation," Piper says.

"Oh, am I up? Well, I'm a certified archery instructor," Thalia says.

"Okay. Well, Piper might know this, but the rest of you won't. So, who was my first kiss? And when was it?" Annabeth says.

"That boy you dated for nearly a month in LA?" Piper says.

"Who, Steven? Nope!" Annabeth says.

"Yes it was!" Thalia says.

"Nope. Thals, do you really think that I wouldn't remember my first kiss?" Annabeth sighs.

"Who was it then?" I say.

"Percy," she shrugs.

"But you didn't kiss him until this year! You kissed Steven in like April!" Thalia cries.

"I kissed Percy before that. Duh. And Steven and I never actually kissed. I kissed his cheek, sure, but we never actually kissed. Piper knew about that," Annabeth says.

"When?" I say.

"Freshman year. It's no biggie," she says.

"Wait. So roughly two years before you actually started dating, you kissed Percy?" Thalia says incredulously.

"Yep," she says, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"And you never told us?" Piper says.

"Guys. It's her life. She doesn't have to tell us anything if she doesn't want to," I say.

"So? How was it?" Piper says.

"We were drunk. It was sloppy, and rushed, and awful. We never really talked about it afterwards," Annabeth says with a small smile.

"Oh. Okay," Thalia says.

"Who'd have thought we'd end up here?" I say. Annabeth smiles even wider.

"Look how far we've come," she says.

"Annie, I figured out who you remind me of!" Piper interjects.

"Who?" Annabeth says.

"Remember that one movie about that sorority girl who goes to Harvard to prove that she's not just a dumb blonde? Legally Blonde?" Piper says.

"As I recall, she went all the way to Harvard as part of a convoluted plot to get her ex boyfriend to love her again," Annabeth scoffs.

"That's not the point! The point is, she's driven, smart, and capable," Piper says.

"True," I say, pulling into the driveway. I leave the keys in the ignition and get out. As soon as Piper and Annabeth slam their doors, Thalia scrambles over the center console and into the driver's seat. The car peels out of the driveway.

"Balloons are in my room. Piper, did you get streamers? Hazel, did you get the pictures?" Annabeth says.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry! With everything going on, I didn't pick them out!" I have a ton of them saved on my computer, but I need help picking them out!" I say.

"Okay, We'll help you while we blow up balloons," Piper says. We start for the door.

"Annabeth, are you coming?" I say.

"In a moment. I need some fresh air," she says, letting her hair down. She chokes up a little bit.

"Are you okay? You can come to us with anything, you know that, right?" Piper says.

"You know how a lot of my family doesn't like me?" Annabeth starts. I nod. "Well, they keep acting like they love me so much, when I know that it's only because they want to leech off of me. And it got me thinking. What if everyone I love only sticks around because they want something from me, like money, or fame? What if-" she says, bordering on the verge of hysteria.

"Annie, your family's a group of assholes. I'm so sorry about that. But the guys wouldn't do that to you. They care about you. They've known you for most of their lives. There's no need to worry. And if it's about Percy, you don't need to worry. The boy's been hung up on you since middle school," Piper says.

"Percy's coming by and helping out. I figured we could use the extra help," Annabeth says.

"Are you sure that's the _only_ reason?" Piper says.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," Annabeth says.

"Come in when you're ready," I say, before turning and going up into the house. I run my fingers across the wall, wanting nothing more than to be swallowed by the crushing darkness bearing down on me. I love my friends, but they don't understand. Thank _god_ they don't understand. Well, maybe Percy does. Behind those sarcastic comments and troublemaking smirks, I can see a lot of repressed pain. I know Annabeth can see it too. She's got a little bit of pain in her eyes, although whether it's from Percy or some other thing in her life, I don't know. All I know is that nobody around me knows what it's like to lose a first love. Nobody understands the pain I feel, or how bad I want to be with Sammy. But I can't be with him. Not anymore. To do that would mean to give up everything. No more music, no more family, no more Nico, no more Sirens, no more friends, no more me. It seems so simple. If I give up my life, I lose everything. But at the same time, if I do it, I could see Sammy again. I shake my head quickly. _Snap out of it Hazel! You're better than this! You can't be thinking like this! Yes, Sammy's gone. He isn't coming back! Don't throw your life away on the off chance you'll see him again! Live! You of all people should know what the death of a loved one can do to a person! Nico lost one sister! Don't make him lose two!_ I slump against the wall. My feet took me to the practice room. I stare at my keyboard, my fingers itching to touch the keys, to play a beautiful melody. I struggle to my feet and walk up to the keyboard. I start absentmindedly pressing the keys.

 _I was stained, with a role,  
In a day not my own  
But as you walked into my life  
You showed what needed to be shown  
I always knew, what was right  
I didn't know that I might  
Peel away and choose to see  
With such a different sight_

 _And I will never see the sky the same way,  
And I will learn to say good-bye to yesterday  
And I will never cease to fly if held down,  
And I will always reach too high cause I've seen,  
Cause I've seen twilight_

 _Never cared never wanted  
Never sought to see what flaunted  
So on purpose so in my face  
Couldn't see beyond my own place  
It was so easy not to behold what I could hold  
But you taught me I could change  
Whatever came within these shallow days_

 _And I will never see the sky the same way,  
And I will learn to say good-bye to yesterday  
And I will never cease to fly if held down,  
And I will always reach too high cause I've seen,  
Cause I've seen twilight_

 _As the sun shines through it pushes away  
And pushes ahead  
It fills the warmth of blue  
And leaves a chill instead and  
I didn't know that I could be  
So blind to all that is real  
But as illusion dies  
I see there is so much to be revealed_

 _And I will never see the sky the same way,  
And I will learn to say good-bye to yesterday  
And I will never cease to fly if held down,  
And I will always reach too high cause I've seen,  
Cause I've seen twilight_

 _I was stained, by a role,  
In a day not my own  
But as you walked into my life  
You showed what needed to be shown  
I always knew, what was right  
I didn't know that I might  
Peel away and choose to see  
With such a different sight_

 _And I will never see the sky the same way,  
And I will learn to say good-bye to yesterday  
And I will never cease to fly if held down,  
And I will always reach too high cause I've seen,  
Cause I've seen twilight _

Tears drip onto the keys, and I stare blankly at them. There are footsteps coming down the hall.

"Hazel?" Frank says. I whirl around to face him.

"F-Frank? What are you doing here?" I sniffle.

"Percy said you were going to set up stuff for the party. I wanted to help. Were you _crying_? What's wrong?" He says.

"Everything," I say, beginning to pace across the room. Frank sits against the wall, watching.

"You can tell me anything," he says. I sit down beside him and lean into his shoulder, shaking with grief.

"Sammy's gone and I blame myself. Why wasn't I there? I could have saved him. He might still be alive if I had just done something," I sob.

"Don't beat yourself up Hazel. I have no idea what you're feeling right now, but you can't blame yourself for what happened. Loss is… well, it's a painful thing. Every day you think 'what could I have done? How could I have stopped this?' But you can't. You can't do anything. You can't bring them back, no matter how much you want to. No matter how much you love them, they're gone. We're the ones left behind to pick up the pieces," he says.

"Do you miss your grandmom?" I sniffle.

"Every day," he says, squeezing my hand.

"I feel so empty now that he's gone," I say.

"The numbness will pass. Don't shut us out. Don't do what I did when my grandma died. Let us in. We care about you," he says. I make the mistake of looking into his eyes. They're just so big and brown and filled with concern and something else that I can't figure out that I just can't resist the temptation to press my lips to his. His eyes widen, before they shut. I grab onto the collar of his shirt and close my eyes. For the first time since the accident, the constant pain in my mind is gone. All that's there is bliss. _Wait. What am I doing?_ My eyes open and I pull away.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that," I say, jumping to my feet.

"Why not? What's wrong?" he says.

"It's too soon, I can't-" I stammer.

"Hazel, I do like you a lot, but I can't wait forever. When you're ready, let me know, but until then, I'm done," he says, before storming out of the house. I trudge up towards Annabeth's room. Percy and Annabeth are on her bed, curled into each other, holding on as if they're afraid that the other will disappear if they let go. Percy is pale and disheveled. There are bags beneath his eyes, and he shakes like a leaf. Annabeth's eyes are red rimmed and glassy. She keeps tracing patterns on Percy's arm and offering words of comfort. I feel like I'm watching a private moment, so I turn away and head to Piper's room.

"Hey Pipes, can you come with me to get the developed pictures?" I say. She nods, her short hairs flying around her face.

"Wait. At this time of night? Are there any places open?" she asks. I check for picture developing shops in our area.

"There's a 24 hour picture development place in New Haven. It's an hour's drive, but we can get them tonight," I say. Piper grabs a pair of boots and pulls them on.

"Let's go. We should tell Percy and Annabeth that we're going so they don't get too worried about us," she says. We head back towards Annabeth's room. Annabeth is blowing up balloons and Percy is cutting crepe paper into streamers.

"Annie, we're going to run some errands. We'll be back in like three hours. Need us to pick anything else up?" I say.

"String would be lovely," Annabeth says.

"Alright. So we'll get string, and the pictures, and we'll be back," Piper says. Percy nods, and we walk down the steps and out of the house.

(Percy's POV)

Annabeth stares at a spot on the floor in silence, frowning.

"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" I say a few minutes later. She stands up and goes to close her door.

"Percy, I'm just worried about what we're going to do now. You can't raise a baby! You're only sixteen! Granted, you might be closer to seventeen by the time it's born, but still," she says, leaning against the wall. I put my scissors down.

"I don't know what we'll do. I just hope that you'll be there with me," I say. Annabeth bites her lip absentmindedly. I get to my feet and stretch. I feel my shirt riding up.

"Of course I will. I always have your back Seaweed Brain," she says, before walking up to me and turning around.

"I know," I say.

"Can you unzip me?" She says, lifting her hair up off of her back and shoulders. My mouth goes dry.

"Um, oh yeah! Sure!" I stammer.

"Scared Jackson?" She smirks. I can feel my heart racing. I fumble with the zipper, forcing myself to look anywhere but her exposed back. She steps out of the dress, and I peel my eyes away. "Don't look, okay?" she says. I nod and shut my eyes. I can hear her fumbling around. "You can open your eyes." I open my eyes. Annabeth's wearing a baggy shirt with some book quote on it and a pair of tiny shorts. She's leaning against the wall, with her arms crossed over her chest, and a frown on her lips.

"Why are you frowning?" I say.

"Everything's just happening so quickly. I wish I just had some time to process everything that's happened these past few weeks," she says.

"I know what you mean. So much has happened to us recently, what with Sammy's death, Gabe's capture, going to LA, the Winter Ball, Rachel, my broken ribs, and so much more. Stuff's happening so quick we don't even have the time to think about it before we're on to the next thing," I say.

"Remember how quiet life was when we were young? Hanging by the beach, chilling in the museums when it got too hot outside, messing with tourists who thought we were dating, water balloon fights in the park, photobombing pictures. I miss those days. We used to think life was complicated. Now, I'm famous, and you're popular, and everything is crazy," she says.

"Is crazy bad?" I mutter, stepping closer to her. I can feel her breath on my lips.

"No," she says quietly. She closes the gap between us. I automatically wrap my arms around her waist. Her back is against the wall, and she somehow manages to get one leg around my waist. My hands immediately move to support her. Her other leg wraps around my waist, so I'm pretty much holding her up. My knees hit the bed. _I didn't even know we were moving!_ I drop her onto the bed, before collapsing beside her.

"Are you okay?" I pant.

"Percy? Are you only with me for the fame and the money?" she whispers. Her voice is practically silent.

"No, of course not! I don't care about the money or the fame! How could you even _think_ that I'd be that much of a douche?" I say.

"I'm sorry. I was just worried. My family is pretending to love me just because I have fame and fortune. I don't want you to be like that," she says.

"I won't be like that. You're my best friend. You're stuck with me for life," I say. Annabeth rolls over to face me and scrunches her nose in discomfort.

"You don't know that. What if we broke up? Or what about the feud? Our parents? Remember Romeo and Juliet?"she says. I kiss her forehead.

"Babe, as much as I love you, I'm not poisoning myself for you, and I don't think you'd stab yourself for me. I mean, wait… you did once get stabbed for me, but you weren't the one doing the stabbing," I say.

"The way that knife was going, it would have severed your spinal cord. You would've been paralyzed for life," she whispers, shuddering.

"Hey, we're okay," I say, running a hand through her hair.

"Percy? You know that we are basically living a Romeo and Juliet situation right now, right? Our parents are both wealthy and they hate each other, and we're caught in the middle of it, despite wanting no part of the feud. Then there's the whole love thing, and, well you get the point I was trying to make," she says. I laugh.

"You're such a nerd," I say.

"Well, just my luck. You have a thing for nerds," she says.

"True," I say.

"Well you're lucky that I have a thing for skaters," she says. I smirk.

"Oh really?" I say.

"Wipe that smirk off your face," she groans.

"Or what?" I say.

"I'll wipe it off myself," she says.

"And how exactly would you-" I start, getting cut off by her lips. I roll over so that I'm holding myself over her. She pulls away.

"Does that answer your question?" She smirks.

"You little shit. You did that on purpose." I say, before leaning down and kissing her again. I pull away.I can tell that we're both thinking of the same thing. "Is this okay?" I say. She goes silent for a few moments.

"Yes," she says.

"Just so you know, they're all over me," I say, unbuttoning my jeans.

"What?" She says.

"The scars. They're all over me. I just thought you should know, you know, in case you see them," I say.

"I don't care. You're still the same boy I fell in love with. Now shut up and kiss me," she says.

(Reyna's POV)

"How is Rachel handling things?" Thalia

says. I shrug.

"Not well. How's Percy taking it?"

"He seems to be alright. Annabeth's freaked though," Thalia says.

"Why's that?" I say.

"She and Percy are just kids. Rachel made a mistake, and now they've got to raise a baby that isn't even theirs. The universe has a habit of screwing the two of them over. They're still just kids who had to grow up way too fast," she says.

"Annabeth doesn't have to raise the kid. Neither does Percy. It's Rachel's responsibility," I say.

"You know Rachel better than I do, but do you _really_ think that she can handle parenthood? And when Triton goes back to LA, who's going to be left behind to clean up his mess? Percy," she says.

"I'll give you that, but Annabeth doesn't need to be involved," I say. Thalia laughs.

"Wow. You really don't know them, do you ? When Percy has a problem that he can't solve on his own, who does he go to to help him solve it?" She says.

"His mom?" I say.

"Well, when Annabeth's not around, sure. Look, I've known Percy since we were three. Annabeth's known him since they were one. Annabeth's all he's got. We've been around most of his life, but Annabeth is like his rock, one of the only constants in the hurricane that is his life. Even when things got bad, she was always there with a joke, or a plan to fix things. Percy rarely does anything huge without knowing he has backup from Annabeth. We're there for him too, but not always, because we've got families, and family stuff to do, but Annie's willing to put all of that aside to help those she cares about. And vice versa. Percy and Annabeth might just be the best thing that ever happened to each other. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't believe in true love. Because if what they have isn't true love, then I don't know what is," she says.

"Yeah, they're good to each other," I say.

"I just wish Rachel saw it that way. I'm worried too. That Rachel's always got some tricks up her sleeve when it comes to getting Percy back. I'm willing to bet that she's going to try and suck him in with this baby. I pray that it won't work. Look, Annabeth and Percy, they're unique. They're polar opposites. By all accounts, all logic, they shouldn't work. They're just too different. But they do work. Even though Percy _despises_ the type of music we make, and Annabeth wants nothing to do with sports, they make it work. If Rachel tries to ruin that, she's going to get burned badly. I don't mean to sound rude, but she doesn't know them like I do. Or like Piper does. Or Jason. Or anybody in our friend group really. The others see him as a skater kid with a terrible temper, an attitude problem, putting all of his energy into swimming to keep himself from fighting, but that isn't who Percy is. Yes he's got some anger management issues, but he's _trying_ so hard not to be like his father. Or his ex stepdad. Often times, his bad attitude comes from a place of frustration. When he gets frustrated or angry, he tends to lose the filter between his brain and his mouth, but he's working on it. He skates because that's how he got away from his problems at home. You don't think of a skateboard as a legitimate mode of transportation, but it was all he had to get out of that place growing up. He swims because he's good at it. Maybe he could get a swim scholarship, ease the cost of college for his mom and Paul. Everything he does, everything Percy _is_ has a reason. He's not some angry kid who's lashing out at the world for his perceived issues. Percy's a good kid. The world tends to screw him over, that's all. Same with Annabeth. Who she is comes from a place of fear. Growing up, her mom accepted only A's. If she didn't have them, if she wasn't perfect, she was a disappointment. She became a know it all because maybe if she knows everything the teacher is going over, it will be easier to get the grades. Annabeth has a fear of failure. And a fear of disappointing her mother. But everything Annabeth loves, her mom doesn't like. Annabeth loves music. Athena thinks it's a waste of time. Annabeth loves Percy. Athena hates him simply because of who his father is. Annabeth's run herself ragged trying to please that woman, but the moment she decides to quit doing things only to impress her mom, Athena tries to stop her. It's awful. Annabeth's extremely worried about being abandoned by the people she cares about. Her mom left her, then her dad forgot about her after her stepbrothers were born. She lived with me for five months when we were younger because she couldn't take her parents anymore. The two adults that should have been there for her let her down. It broke her heart. She doesn't want to lose anyone else," Thalia adds. I sigh.

"Thalia, you should have seen him when he realized Annabeth was gone. It was _awful_. He looked like hell. He just retreated inwards, only talking to the guys. He'd snap at anyone. He was suspended for a few days, because someone insulted Annabeth, and he just _exploded_. It was almost like Annabeth kept him in check, and when she left, he had nobody to stop him from losing his cool," I say.

"How bad was it? The damage?" She sighs.

"Percy had a black eye and bloody knuckles, plus a three day suspension. The other kid had a fractured eye socket, two black eyes, a split lip, plus that three day suspension. I believe he transferred to West Bridge, that school for troubled kids down by the museum. Apparently he was a druggie. When Percy absolutely _destroyed_ him, he had to go to the hospital. They found drugs in his bloodstream," I say.

"I guess you all know now: Never, ever, fight Percy Jackson. He will kill you," she shrugs.

"You're oddly calm about it," I point out.

"Look, Percy comes from a background of terrifying rage. His dad has severe anger issues, Triton does, he does, even little Tyson has them. He and Tyson learned to control it for the most part. Triton and Poseidon didn't. Then his first stepdad was a physically and emotionally abusive monster. Annabeth keeps that rage in check, because she's seen what he can do. Percy doesn't like people insulting his friends. You can rip into him all you want, and he won't care. But if you insult any of us, oh he'll make sure you suffer hell," she says.

"What kind of hell?" I say.

"The guy can do fifteen one handed pull ups while holding Annabeth up. He puts his fists through walls and breaks things when he gets angry. He once kicked his mother's birdbath so hard that it broke in two. If he wasn't my friend and I didn't know how much of a sweetheart he is, I'd be terrified of him," she says. I shudder and think back to that day in class.

 _Percy shuffles into the classroom. His hair is limp and looks like it hasn't been brushed in days. It hangs into his eyes like he's trying to hide. He awkwardly tugs at the sleeves of his jacket. He looks like he hasn't slept. His friends don't look much better._

" _How are you taking things, man?" Jason says. His fingernails are bitten down to bleeding stubs. His hair stands up on end._

" _How do you think? She's gone. she left without saying goodbye," Percy says. He sounds broken. The loudspeaker crackles to life._

" _Attention staff. Four of our students are to be on the Elpis daytime television program in fifteen minutes. Please tune in in support of Annabeth Chase, Thalia Grace, Hazel Levesque, and Piper McLean. That will be all," Chiron says. I pretend not to notice Percy perk up at the mention of Annabeth's name. The teacher turns on the projector and goes to the show's website. We're just in time._

" _Our next guests are the stars of a viral song video on YouTube. Here to perform their viral song Who Says, please welcome Annabeth Chase, Thalia Grace, Hazel Levesque, and Piper McLean, or as they are professionally known, The Sirens!" The overly peppy host says. The four girls sit onstage with their instruments. My jaw drops. My mind is racing so much that I miss their song. "So girls, what made you decide to post that video?"_

" _Well, at our old school, we were bullied. We all liked music, so we jokingly tried to write a song about what we went through. We didn't know it would get so popular," Piper says._

" _Yeah, apparently people connected to us through that song or something," Thalia says._

" _So, how has the city been treating you?" The host says._

" _Good. It's a bit overwhelming though. We're just four girls from Mystic. Two weeks ago we were sitting by the shore with our friends, watching the boats go by. Now we're here, and they're back there. We didn't say goodbye. We didn't even tell them what we're doing now. We just left a note on their beds saying we were going away for awhile," Annabeth says._

" _How hard was it to leave it all behind?" The host says._

" _It was one of the hardest things for me to do. I left my brother behind. I never told him goodbye. I'm pretty much the only family he's got. Our other sister… well, she's gone now. He was the only thing holding me back at first, but I realized that he'd just want me to be happy. So I left," Hazel says quietly. Nico curls inward, clutching his stomach like he's been punched._

" _I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard. My brother is back home too. He's the only one in my family who made an effort to understand why I act the way I do. I miss him," Thalia says. Jason wipes at his eyes with the sleeve of his letterman's jacket._

" _It's not easy, I'll tell you that." Annabeth scoffs, wrapping her arms around her waist. She takes a shaky breath. "I miss my parents, I miss my brothers, I miss my friends. Heck, I even think I might miss my bullies! Wait, scratch that. But I miss my brothers and my best friend the most. I never even told my best friend that I could sing. He'll figure it out pretty soon. But my little brothers? It was so hard to say goodbye to them. I raised them. Now I may not see them for a long time." She says. Percy stares open mouthed at the screen._

" _It was hard, but I burned pretty much every bridge before we left. It was an accident. Our friend- there was an awful fire. Nobody made it out alive. Our friend was one of the three who died there. I couldn't stay. I couldn't bear to watch everyone pretend that they cared about him, or that they were friends. I just wasn't ready to deal with everyone. So I left. I miss my friends, but my family was rarely in town anyways. It was just me and sometimes my dad's personal assistant. But yeah, it hurt to walk away," Piper says._

" _So, you've been signed by Olympus Records?" The host says._

" _Yeah. It's kind of surreal. We grew up on Olympus's music. To be making music for them is a dream come true," Hazel says._

" _Well, best of luck to you girls. I look forward to hearing your first album soon," the host says. The teacher turns off the projector and gets to his feet._

" _I need to go make some copies. Be right back," he says, walking out of the room. Prometheus sits on Percy's desk._

" _What a load of bullshit. They're overreacting. We all go through shit here, and you don't see us running away from our problems. What a bunch of cowards," Prometheus says. The room goes silent._

" _I'm sorry?" Percy says, his voice steely calm. His hands are balled into fists. His friends share nervous looks._

" _Percy, no," Frank says._

" _It's not worth it," Nico says._

" _The girls dumbass. What were their names? Pepper, Annabelle, Tammy, and Hannah? Whatever," Prometheus says._

" _Not worth it? We watched our friends get bullied, yet we did nothing! And now they're all gone! Leo's dead, dammit! He died thinking we didn't care about what he went through! The girls left because they thought we didn't care! I let these people push them around for too long, okay? Even though they're gone, I can't let these asses attack them anymore!" Percy snaps. He shoves Prometheus to the ground and scrambles out of his seat. Prometheus writhes on the ground as Percy pins him and punches him again and again. His friends beg him to stop, but he doesn't. Prometheus hits him right below the eye. Percy laughs, a short little insane cackle. His face twists into a smirk, before he slams his fist into the side of Prometheus' nose. It cracks, and I gag a little. Frank and Jason rush forward and grab Percy, pulling desperately. He doesn't budge, just keeps slamming his fists into Prometheus' face. His eye is starting to swell shut. His hands are bleeding, and Prometheus cowers under him. "Don't you ever insult Annabeth or the girls again, do you hear me?" He growls, before punching him across the face._

The front door opens, and Hylla comes in.

"Hey Hy," I say.

"Is that any way to greet your sister?" She says.

"Hi, I'm Thalia," Thalia says with a wave.

"I know. You're kind of a big deal. One of the first Mystic natives to make it big. Everyone in town knows you," Hylla says. Thalia flushes.

"Whoops," she says with a sheepish smile. She grabs her coat.

"So Thalia, I'll text Annabeth the plans," I say.

"Great. See you at school. Or before, I don't know. Bye," she says, before walking out of the door.

(Thalia's POV)

I drive through the neighborhoods in silence. I pass my old house. I can see Jason in his room, pacing across the floor. I tear my eyes away and focus on the road. My house comes into view minutes later. I pull into the driveway next to a beat up Prius. _Percy's here?_ I walk into the house, and up the stairs. Annabeth's door is shut, but every other door is open. I figure that everyone is in Annabeth's room so I open the door. The room is dark, so I flip on the lights. Percy hurriedly zips up his jeans.

"Thanks for telling me that my fly was down," he grumbles. Annabeth leans on her arms.

"I didn't notice. Sue me," she says.

"Where are Piper and Hazel?" I say.

"Emergency at Mr. McLean's," he says. Annabeth looks the other way. I notice how messy her hair is. Her lipstick is smudged.

"Err, Annie?" I say.

"What's up?" She says.

"Your lipstick is smudged," I say.

"Oh. Whoops." She says.

"Percy's got some of it," I say. Percy clears his throat and pulls at his shirt collar. Annabeth brushes her hair behind her ear.

"Happy birthday," She says.

"Oh, it's past midnight?" I say.

"Hey, I should get going," Percy says.

"Aww do you have to?" she whines.

"My mom will worry. I have to go," he says. He kisses her forehead before getting to his feet.

"I'll walk you down," she says. She gets to her feet and they walk out of the room. I decide to go to bed, so I go back to my room and collapse onto my bed. I'm out like a light as soon as my head hits the pillow.

(Annabeth's POV)

I stare at myself in the mirror. I look like a disaster. My hair is a tangled rat's nest where Percy ran his hands through it. My lips are swollen and my lipstick is smudged all over the place. I grin. My mom would kill me if she saw me like this. I pull my hair up off my neck and gasp at the amount of bites, hickeys, and scratches there. I take a shower, put on some new pajamas, and go back to blowing up balloons. When my hands start to cramp, I cut some streamers. It goes on like that for I don't know how long. Piper and Hazel walk in after all the streamers and most of the balloons are ready. They're both clad in pajamas.

"Hey guys, I'm almost done," I say, tying a balloon.

"That's enough Annabeth. We need to get these scrapbooks done. You're working on Thalia's, and Piper's doing Jason's. I'm going to be tying string to balloons," Hazel says quietly.

"Alright," I shrug.

"Where's Percy?" Piper says.

"He had to go home. His mom's worried about him, you know since Triton," I say, starting to paste pictures into the book.

"Too bad," Hazel says.

"Hazel got into an argument with Frank," Piper says absentmindedly. I gasp.

"What happened?" I say.

"I kissed him. Then I told him that I couldn't do this anymore and that I wasn't ready. Then he said that he wasn't just going to wait around for me to be ready, and that he was done. Then he said that I could call him when I changed my mind," Hazel says. I hum under my breath.

"How are things with you and Percy?" Piper says.

"Great. He's the sweetest guy. Where are you and Nico taking the twins?" I say.

"We're taking them to that restaurant over in Groton," Piper says. We work in silence for a few hours, the only noise in the house being Thalia's soft snores. I close the scrapbook and grab a roll of black and blue wrapping paper. Piper sings under her breath as I wrap the gift. I feel warm, so I pull my hair into a ponytail. The girls gasp.

"Annie, what happened to your neck?" Hazel says.

"What do you mean?" I say. _Better play dumb. If they think I don't know how it happened, I'll be off the hook._

"Your neck is all bruised and scratched!" Piper says.

"What?" I yelp. I get to my feet and run towards the mirror. "Holy shit! How'd that happen?" I say.

"You mean you don't know?" Hazel says.

"I have no idea what happened," I say. Piper wraps her scrapbook up. I yawn.

"I think it'd be best if we went to sleep. We've got a ton of work to do tomorrow," Piper says. I nod and climb into bed.

"Goodnight," I say. My phone buzzes. _New text from: Seaweed Brain._ I grin and open it.

 _Look at this old picture I found._ Attached is a picture of Percy, Grover, and I standing in front of Mt St Helen's. I have my lucky Yankees cap on top of my head and a wicked smirk on my face. Grover's got his old Rasta cap pulled over his hair and is holding a soda can. Percy's wearing a black band shirt and a beat up black snapback. his arms are crossed, and I can see the streak of dye in his hair.

 _Is that the elusive emo phase Percy? Taking a picture? Oh my god!_ I say.

 _Ha ha very funny_. He responds.

 _If it's any consolation, that emo phase wasn't easy for me either_ , I say.

 _How so?_ He says.

 _Okay, so this is going to be embarrassing, but we don't keep secrets from each other. Anyways, almost every girl has this dream of dating a troublemaker. You know the type: tall, brooding, attractive, etc. when you went through that phase, everyone else noticed that you looked the part. I didn't really care. I knew that deep down, you were the same sweet kid I had known my whole life. Listening to those girls talk about you like that was awfully uncomfortable. Also, that was around the time you started skating shirtless. Not exactly the best time for me to have a crush on you,_ I say.

 _Wow… um okay. Is that like the locker rooms in middle school gym?_ He says.

 _What?_ I say.

 _Um in middle school, when you started to um… develop, the guys in my gym class noticed. They asked me to act as a go between when they wanted to ask you out. I said sure, then never actually did it. I told them you said no,_ he says.

 _Wow, jealous much? It's fine, I was the same way._ I say.

 _You know, you left a lot of scratches tonight,_ he says.

 _Sorry, but did you really have to leave so many hickeys and love bites on my neck? I had to explain those to Piper and Hazel,_ I say.

 _Sorry. How'd it go?_ He says.

 _They don't suspect a thing. I'm not going to tell them._ I say.

 _Nice. Btw, thanks._ He says.

 _For what?_ I say.

 _Everything. I love you so much, and you probably don't really care since I tell you that I love you like all the time, but I really do love you._ He says.

 _I love you too. And wow, nothing I say right now could really top that confession. Did you have to make me feel like a shit girlfriend?_ I say.

 _Well clearly you're the sex appeal of the whole relationship so I obviously gotta remind you how much I love you so you don't walk off._ He says.

 _I highly doubt that I'm the sex appeal, Mr to "Sexiest Guy in the Junior Class" (not my title for u btw a list went around in like November). And I'm not going to walk off. U know that_ , I say.

 _Sorry just a bit worried. Neither of us have the best models for stable relationships what with our parents not having the best stability,_ he says.

 _We're not going to be like them_ , I say.

 _I hope so_ , he says.

 _Anyways, I had fun tonight. I mean my mom would probably kill me if she found out, but oh well. Guess she's never going to know_ , I say.

 _Same. My dad would kill me if he ever found out that I did that with one of Athena's kids. And also Triton. Can't forget about his colossal screw up._ He says. I sigh.

 _I know you're upset Percy, but it'll all be okay. Things happen for a reason_ , I say.

 _Right now I think the reason is that Triton couldn't keep it in his pants but whatever_ , he says. I snort.

 _Oh hush. The boy made one mistake, and you roast him for it_ , I say.

 _Believe me, it's not just because of that. This was just one mistake in a series of bad mistakes. Triton's a creep_ , he says.

 _I don't understand. Why do you think he's a creep?_ I say.

 _When we were fourteen, I saw him looking through a crack in the door when you were changing in the bathroom. Please don't be mad_ , he says.

 _WHAT? WHY DIDNT YOU TELL ME?_ I say.

 _Because I was scared. I thought that if I told you, you wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore. I was worried that you'd leave. Triton, he messed with my mind. He made me think that you'd blame me if I told you. So I handled it on my own. There's not a day that goes by where I don't regret not telling you immediately_ , he says.

 _We will be talking about this later Percy_ , I say.

 _Tomorrow?_ He says.

 _I gotta go. Something came up. Be right back._ I say, before pulling on a pair of shoes. I examine myself in the mirror before pulling on a pair of sweatpants and pulling a hat over my wild hair. I leave a note on my bed telling the girls that I'm going to my Dad's to hide a few presents for the boys and that I'll have my phone on me. Then I walk out of the house and towards the car. I climb in and drive to Percy's house. His bedroom lights are the only ones that are on. They face the road. I throw a clump of slush at the window.

"Percy!" I whisper. Then I find a few pebbles and toss those. His window opens.

"Annabeth?" He says.

"I need to talk to you!" I say.

"Alright. You know the way up, right?" He says. I nod. I climb up onto the porch railing and grab the gutter. With a jump and a push, I'm on top of the roof. Then I clamber over to his open window. I crawl inside and shiver. "What's up?" My phone rings.

"Hello?" I yawn.

"Annabeth," my mother says coolly.

"What do you want?" I say. Percy pulls me into his chest.

"Who is it?" He says.

"Just my mom babe. It's fine." I whisper. His lips press against the crook of my neck. I hum in appreciation.

"So I assume you understand why I didn't want you getting involved with that Jackson boy. It was a recipe for disaster from the beginning," Mom says.

"Mom, I love him. Even though we fought, I still love him. I'm gonna make this work. I don't care what you say. I don't care what you say about him. I still want to be with him. And no stupid feud is going to change that. Haven't you ever even been in love, mom? When you're in love, you're willing to do anything to make it work. So that's what I'm doing. I've gotta go," I say, before hanging up.

"So why'd you drop by?" He murmurs into my neck.

"We need to talk about Triton," I say.

"Alright, what do you want to know? What exactly happened? What I did to solve it?" He says.

"Both?" I say.

"Alright. So you were changing into your bathing suit in the bathroom. Remember, the door was warped? There was a huge gap between the door and the doorframe in certain spots? Anyways, I caught Triton peeking through one of those gaps. So I pushed him away, dragged him outside, and told him off. Then I forced his head into my mom's old birdbath. He swore never to do it again," he says.

"What a scumbag," I say. I hear footsteps outside.

"Hide!" Percy hisses. I dive behind Percy's laundry basket.

"Percy?" Triton says.

"What's up?" Percy says, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I could've sworn that I heard Annabeth's voice," Triton says, stepping over to the basket. I curl up smaller, praying that he doesn't notice me.

"That's insane! Why would she be here?" Percy says, chuckling nervously.

"And do you have a logical explanation as to why she's crouched behind your laundry basket?" Triton says.

"Don't tell Mom?" Percy says.

"We were just talking?" I say.

"Mmmhhhm," Triton says.

"Honest!" Percy says.

"Don't sleep together while Tyson and I are in the house," Triton says.

"We weren't!" I sputter. Triton walks out. "By the way babe, you left these in my room." I say, before tossing Percy a pair of blue boxers.

"Thanks," he says.

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow?" I say, before crawling halfway out the window. Percy leans out the window and kisses me again.

"Hey Percy have you seen my-" Triton starts. Percy jumps back.

"Dude, a little privacy?" He says. I grab the collar of his shirt and crush my lips against his. There's a rustling noise, then a silvery packet hits the back of Percy's head. He pulls back again and glances at it.

"What is up with my family and hitting me with condoms?" He says. I laugh.

"Love you," I say.

"Love you too," he says. Triton gags in the background. I inch down the roof and jump down onto the lawn. Then I run back to my car. I drive away with a smile on my lips despite the growing unease in my gut. _The future's so unclear, but right now, in this little town, I have my own little safe haven. No matter what comes for me, I know I can do it as long as I have Percy, my family, and my friends by my side. And that's enough for me._


	22. A Very Merry (Un)Birthday to You

Chapter 22

(Thalia's POV)

I wake up to the sound of a knock on my door.

"Are you decent?" Piper says.

"What's up Pipes?" I say, my voice thick with sleep.

"Nico and I are taking you and Jason out for lunch! Get dressed!" She says.

"How's Hazel?" I ask.

"Real quiet. Talking to herself, pacing at all hours of the night, crying alone. She isn't doing much but looking at a picture of Sammy and occasionally writing sad lyrics. I hope she's alright," Piper says.

"I hope so too," I say.

"Annabeth's keeping an eye on her. She's worried sick," she says.

"Where are we going?" I say.

"There's a really good place that opened up out near Groton. Figured we'd try it out," she says.

"Sounds good," I say, rolling out of bed.

"Take a shower and get ready. Jason and Nico are arriving in two hours," she chirps. I groan and get ready for the day. I can hear Hazel shuffling around in the room next door.

"Are you okay?" I say, poking my head in. She just stares blankly at me, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. _Chasing Cars_ plays from her laptop. "Hazel, are you okay? You're worrying me. I may not understand what you're going through right now, but I want to help. We all do." I sit on the bed next to her.

"I wrote this song yesterday," she says. Her voice is monotone and flat.

( _Hazel_ )

 _It's just another night  
And I'm staring at the moon  
I saw a shooting star  
And thought of you  
I sang a lullaby  
By the waterside and knew  
If you were here,  
I'd sing to you  
You're on the other side  
As the skyline splits in two  
I'm miles away from seeing you  
I can see the stars  
From America  
iI wonder, do you see them, too?  
So open your eyes and see  
The way our horizons meet  
And all of the lights will lead  
Into the night with me  
And I know these scars will bleed  
But both of our hearts believe  
All of these stars will guide us home  
I can hear your heart  
On the radio beat  
They're playing 'Chasing Cars'  
And I thought of us  
Back to the time,  
You were lying next to me  
I looked across and fell in love  
So I took your hand  
Back through lamp lit streets I knew  
Everything led back to you  
So can you see the stars?  
Over Amsterdam  
You're the song my heart is  
Beating to  
So open your eyes and see  
The way our horizons meet  
And all of the lights will lead  
Into the night with me  
And I know these scars will bleed  
But both of our hearts believe  
All of these stars will guide us home  
And, oh, I know  
And oh, I know, oh  
I can see the stars  
From America_

She closes her mouth and draws her knees into her chest.

"Hazel, do you think about him a lot?" I say. She nods, but says nothing. "That's okay. You don't have to talk if you don't want to. You miss him. It's okay. We all miss him. But we know that what you and Sammy had was special. No matter what, we're going to be right there with you, helping you through this. Because we're more than a band. We're a family." I get up and wave before walking out of the room and down the stairs.

"Happy birthday Thals," Annabeth says, clutching her morning Starbucks drink.

"You're officially the big 1-7. Wait if Nico's still sixteen, then does that mean that you're a cougar?" Piper says.

"I think she'd have to be of age to be considered a cougar," Annabeth deadpans. Her phone buzzes. She unlocks it and laughs.

"What is it?" Piper asks.

"Just a dumb Snapchat," Annabeth says.

"Personal or public account?" I say.

"Personal," Annabeth yawns. A person knocks on the door.

"Ah! That must be the guys. Ready?" Piper says, gripping the doorknob. I nod. The door opens, and Nico and Jason come in.

"Happy birthday Thalia," Nico says with a ghost of a smile upon his lips. I grin.

"Thanks Nico," I say.

"Let's go!" Jason says. I take Nico's hand and drag him out to the car. Piper and Jason trail behind, laughing. Nico and Piper take the front seats and Nico turns the key in the ignition.

"Excited?" Jason says.

"We're seventeen, it's nearly Christmas, I have the greatest friends and the best boyfriend I could ever ask for. Why wouldn't I be excited?" I say.

"How's Hazel?" Nico says.

"Not so good. It's going to be tougher for her than for us. He was in love with her, and part of her is always going to wonder if he was supposed to be the one. Now she'll never know," I say. Nico frowns.

"Poor thing. She didn't deserve this. She's a nice girl, real sweet, real cute. She's too good for this to happen to her. She didn't deserve to lose someone important to her, like some people," Nico says.

"So you're saying that sometimes people _deserve_ to lose someone close to them?" I say.

"Sometimes. I know I did," he says.

"No you didn't. You never deserved to lose Bianca, and you never deserved the fate you got. You're just unlucky, but like Percy says, the best people have the rottenest luck," I say.

"Yeah," Jason says.

"Don't worry Nico, Hazel's going to be okay. She has all of us. Well, maybe not Frank right now, but the rest of us," Piper says.

"Why not Frank?" Nico says.

"Oh, you didn't know? She kissed him last night and then they got into an argument where Frank basically said that he's done letting her string him along like that and told her that she needs to figure out her own issues before she tries anything with him," Piper says. I gasp.

"That's awful, but he's kinda right. This is what, the second time she's kissed him and then told him that she wasn't ready?" I say.

"True. I love her like she's my little sister, but she has to figure this out herself," Jason says.

"It's hard to feel like you're deserving of love after you lose someone really close to you. Because if they loved you, and they're gone, then what's going to stop the next person from leaving you behind too? So you shut everyone out, and try to depend only on yourself, because you can't leave yourself behind like everyone else can," Nico says. I frown.

"That sounds lonely," I hum.

"She's deserving of all of the love in the world. She's sweet, and kind, and truly good, and pretty, and talented, and she doesn't deserve to feel like she isn't worth anything," Piper says.

"We all feel like that sometimes. For some, it lasts longer than others. All of us have gone through it," Nico sighs. I grimace and nod.

"It just sucks. Hazel is too good for this," I say.

"Things happen, regardless of whether or not we deserve them," Jason sighs. I put my head on the window pane and stare out at the streets. I swear I see Sammy's reflection in the glass. He smiles, but when I blink, he fades away into the light. I choke back a sob as I hear his laugh bouncing off my skull. I can practically see Hazel's bright smile and the love in her eyes. Then, just like Sammy, it disappears forever. Piper lets out a shocked giggle.

"I cannot believe that you did that!" she says. I put in my headphones, and shut my eyes. Memories of Sammy flash in my mind, the sound of his voice, the time that he donned a pair of ratty overalls and helped Hazel with her garden, all the nights they went on picnics under the stars, and so many more things. _It hurts so much._ It feels like I'm drowning, burning, and suffocating all at once. I clench my jaw shut and zone out.

"We're here," Nico says. I open my eyes. We're outside of some burger joint. The inside looks new, and the sign sparkles in the afternoon light. Piper and I start disguising ourselves, armed with professional grade wigs and makeup. My black bob becomes a long blonde braid, and Piper's choppy hair becomes long and wavy.

"Ready?" I say.

"It's weird seeing you with blonde hair," Jason says.

"I feel gross," I say, gesturing to the pink lipstick on my lips.

"Let's go," Nico says, sauntering inside. We take our seats in a little booth, and I wonder how Annabeth and Hazel are doing back home.

(Annabeth's POV)

"Leo! Put those drinks on the table," I say. Hazel comes up to me, frowning.

"What about Thalia's mom?" Hazel says.

"Shit. Silena! Can you and Beckendorf go get Beryl from Sunshine Rehab?" I say. Silena and Beckendorf look up from where they are putting together snack bowls.

"What's the address?" Beck says.

"It's written on a post it note on the fridge," Hazel says, checking on the amount of candles that we have.

"Percy! Can you go make sure that everyone's car is hidden?" I say.

"We all carpooled here. There's only one car, and it's down the street from here," Percy says.

"Okay. Well, I need your help getting Hazel's keyboard in here," I say.

"Lead the way," he says. I walk down the hall, balancing on the balls of my feet. I open the door to the practice room.

"Can you take the keyboard? I'll take the stand," I say.

"Yeah sure. And we need to talk," he says. I go pale.

"About what?" I stammer.

"What happened last night," he says.

"Percy, last night was wonderful. But I'd rather not talk about it, okay? It's nothing against you or anything. It's just, if my brother finds out, he'll kill me _and_ you," I say, wrapping my arms around his neck. I peck his lips, then tuck a curl behind my ear. He fiddles with the collar of his shirt, then grabs the keyboard. I grab the stand, bench, and a few extension cords.

"So, the twins are coming too, right?" He says.

"Nah. And our friends from LA are video calling in for the party. And Sammy had mailed a gift before he um-" I say.

"I'm so sorry babe," he says.

"It's okay baby," I say, setting up the stand in the living room.

"Baby? I'm only a month younger than you!" He yelps, gingerly placing the keyboard down on the stand. I place the bench down, and start hooking things up. Hazel sits on the couch, wrapped in blankets. Her eyes are glassy and she looks like death.

"Hazel, are you okay?" I say. She looks over. "Sorry, generic question."

"How could I be okay?" She sniffles.

"I know sweetheart, I know. I know it hurts, but you have to keep fighting. Sammy would want you to be happy," I say.

"What does it matter what Sammy wants? Sammy's gone! He's gone, and I'm left behind, just like always," she sobs. She gets off the couch and runs away. The blankets fall to the ground as she throws open the door and leaves the house.

"Hazel!" I yelp, going after her. The day is freezing, and my shoes crunch in the little bit of slush that's left over. Hazel is running down the street, her hair flying behind her. I finally catch up to her around twenty minutes later. She's hunched over underneath an old pine tree. Its leaves are green, except for one part towards the middle, where the needles are brown and sickly. I look around and see that we're behind our old preschool. The place shut down years ago. I slouch beside Hazel, and squeeze my eyes shut, trying to recall those days.

" _Wanna play heroes?" Percy says, flopping down beside me on the carpet His hair sticks almost every direction, and the right knee of his overalls have mud stains and rips. I clutch my crayon tighter and stick my tongue out of the side of my mouth as I try to draw a little house. Percy tugs on my hair._

" _Don't!" I say._

" _Anna I'm bored," he whines._

" _Hi Percy! Wanna play trucks with me?" Jason says, stumbling over. His hair is neatly combed, and his cheeks are fat._

" _Anna?" Percy says._

" _I wanna color," I say. Piper sits down beside me and starts to pick up crayons._

" _New girl," she says, pointing to the teacher as Thalia plops down with her favorite toy._

" _Attention class, we have a new student joining us. Everyone, this is Hazel. She's Nico's sister." the teacher says. A girl with huge curly hair and big eyes waves from behind the teacher's leg. "Okay everyone! Circle time on the rug!" We all stumble over to the carpet and sit down. "To make things easier on Hazel, why don't you go around and say your names and favorite colors?"_

" _I Thalia. I like silver" Thalia says, smiling wide. Her freckles stand out against her skin._

" _My name Jason. I like red," Jason says, sitting back on his heels, fiddling with the little plane on his shirt._

" _My name Piper. I like blue green," Piper says, her eyes sparkling._

" _I Percy. I like blue," Percy says, grinning like a madman._

" _My name Annabef. I like gray," I say._

" _My name Leo. I like orange," Leo says, moving a toy boat back and forth._

" _I Katie. Me like green," Katie Gardener says, playing with the flower on her headband._

" _Travis. I like yellow," Travis Stoll says._

" _I Hazel. I like purple," the new girl says. She has a thick southern accent. She sits with her legs tucked underneath her. The teacher says something, but I can't hear it. I stumble back over to my previous art, this time chatting with the new girl._

"Hazel, did you love Sammy?" I say.

"I don't know!" She sobs.

"Do you love Frank?" I say.

"I don't know!" She wails again.

"Well, do you know how I figured out that I was in love with Percy? It was a lot of little things, like how I felt when he walked in a room. I felt relaxed, giddy almost, and my heart would pound out of my chest when he was near. Then I noticed how we'd started planning for our future, without ever really _planning_ the future. Like we'd talk about what we'll do this summer, and how we'll spend spring break, and it's perfectly okay, because I know that he'll still be there. I don't have to worry about what it means if he doesn't text back immediately, because I know that the way I feel about him is the same way he feels about me. Percy makes everything ten times more fun. I feel like I can be myself with him. I don't have to be 'Annabeth Chase, pop superstar'. I can just be 'Annabeth Chase, teenage girl'. I don't have to be perfect. I just have to be me," I say.

"With all due respect Annabeth, I'm not you. I'm not the pretty little nerd who gets the popular boy of her dreams. Your life is like a movie, and I won't get that. I'm never going to be that girl. The boy I've been pining over since kindergarten wants nothing to do with me. The boy who loved me is dead. I need to move on," Hazel says.

"Hazel, come home," I say. She sobs.

"Why, so I can see you and Thalia living that perfect life that you always dreamed of while I deal with the fact that everyone who loves me is gone?" She scoffs.

"That's not true. Yes, Sammy and your mom are gone, but that's not everyone who loves you! We all love you Hazel, Nico especially! And one day, your life will be perfect too," I say.

"I don't know if I even want to keep living," Hazel mutters. I gasp.

"Oh Hazel," I say, pulling her into my embrace. She sobs even harder.

 _(Annabeth)_

 _When you try your best, but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want, but not what you need  
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse  
And the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone, but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?_

 _Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

 _And high up above or down below  
When you're too in love to let it go  
But if you never try you'll never know  
Just what you're worth_

 _Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

 _Tears stream down your face_  
 _When you lose something you cannot replace  
Tears stream down your face and I  
Tears stream down your face_  
 _I promise you I will learn from my mistakes  
Tears stream down your face and I_

 _Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you_

"Hazel. My sweet, sweet girl, don't you know how much you matter?" I say, rubbing circles on her back.

"Please, we all know that I'm the horseface of the group," she sniffles.

"That's a lie! Hazel, you're beautiful. We all have things about our bodies that we wish we could change. But to your friends, to those who love you, those little things that you view as imperfections are just the things that make you who you are. And your appearance doesn't define your worth. Hazel, you matter to me. I don't know what I'd do without my little Hazelnut," I say. She smiles softly at the nickname, something her dad used to call her.

"Oh gosh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" she starts.

"You don't need to apologize to me. Now come on. Let's get home and get you all fixed up for the party," I interrupt, getting to my feet. I grab her hand and squeeze it tightly, as if to say ' _don't worry. I'm right here. You're never alone'._ We walk back in silence.

"Hazel! You're okay!" Percy says as I open the door.

"Hazel, why don't you go upstairs? I'll meet you there," I say.

"I can take it from here," Malcolm says.

"Thanks," I say. Percy gives me a panicked glare. I take the stairs two at a time and meet Hazel in her room. She sits on her bed, trying to pull a comb through her hair. I sigh and sit behind her, trying to detangle a tangled clump of curls at the back of her head.

"Annabeth?" she says.

"Yeah?" I say, wincing as the comb catches in her hair.

"I never thanked you. I've been feeling so crummy since we got the news about Sammy, so thank you, for reminding me that I can get through this," she says.

"No problem Hazel," I say. We finish combing through her hair.

"What should I do?" She says.

"About what?" I say, looking at the picture on her desk of her and Nico sitting in the mouth of a cave .

"About Frank. I really messed up there," she says.

"Hazel, you need to talk to him!" I say.

"But-" she starts.

"You're Hazel Levesque, kickass pianist. You can handle talking to _Frank Zhang_ , of all people," I interrupt.

"What would I even say? 'Hey sorry for kissing you yesterday, I know you don't like me like that, it's cool, I was just being overly emotional and could we just forget that this ever happened okay thanks bye'," she says, rolling her eyes.

"Hazel, you're being ridiculous. He'll understand," I say.

"It's worth a shot I guess," she says.

"I'll leave you to your makeup," I say, before going downstairs. _You can't take anything for granted nowadays. You just have to show how much they mean to you while you still can. I still have time to show everyone here how important they are to me._ I glance over to the kitchen and see a mop of jet black hair. _Perfect_! "Percy?" I say.

"What's up Annabeth?" He says.

"I love you. God, I love you so much that it scares me sometimes," I say.

"Aww, I love you more," he says. I grin and kiss his cheek.

"I'm so lucky that I'm in love with my best friend," I whisper, before pulling away and hopping up onto the counter. I swing my legs back and forth as I update the band twitter, reminding everyone that we're livestreaming Thalia and Jason's birthday.

"I'm so happy that you came home. That year in LA was good to you. You came back… different. You don't let anyone take advantage of you. You're more upfront. You're more honest, not to mention that you got even prettier. I didn't even know that was possible," he says, stepping closer to me. I absentmindedly cross my ankles behind his legs as he leans down to kiss me. Our lips move in sync, and his hands run through my hair.

"Hey guys-" Malcolm starts. Percy pulls away sheepishly.

(Percy's POV)

I wasn't lying to Annabeth when I said that she got even prettier during that year away.

 _I walk through the halls of the school with my friends, after being called down to tour the four new kids this year. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of curly blonde hair standing by the meeting place. It couldn't be. I introduce myself, then the blonde girl looks up. I can barely recognize her, except for the eyes. Those same silvery gray eyes that I fell in love with. That year in Los Angeles was good for her. She's gotten taller and tanner, making her freckles stand out even more. Her already huge eyes twinkle with a hint of mischief and pride. She smirks and brushes a curl away from her face. My mouth goes dry. She looks amazing. Don't get me wrong, she's always been cute, but now she's seriously beautiful._

"Hey guys-" Malcolm says, snapping me out of my reverie. I pull away sheepishly.

"What's up Malcolm?" Annabeth says worriedly.

"Piper called. They're on their way home," he says. Annabeth scoots off the counter. She adjusts the collar of her dress and stretches.

"You ready to perform?" I say.

"I guess. I just hope they like the song," she says.

"Of course they'll like it! Annabeth, you're amazing. You have a real gift for music, and the twins will appreciate the fact that you took the time to write them a song," I say.

"You're right," she says.

"Believe it or not, I do know what I'm talking about, sometimes," I say.

"Percy, don't talk about yourself like that! You're smarter than people give you credit for, and don't you forget it," she says. I blush at the compliment.

"Thanks," I say.

"I'm gonna go check on Hazel. See ya," she says, before bounding up the stairs. I wander back out into the living room.

"Hey Leo," I say.

"Hey Aquaman," he says, setting up some contraption with wires.

"Need any help?" I say.

"Uh, yeah actually! I need someone to test the camera to make sure that Thalia's friends back in LA can see everything that's happening. I've got it hooked up to Annabeth's laptop, so anything on the screen is displayed, but I'm trying to make sure the volume works. Can you try playing music or something?" He says. I nod and open up Annabeth's music library. I press shuffle, and some soft indie pop music blares from the speakers.

"Holy God that's loud," I say, covering my ears. Leo adjusts a knob.

"Okay, perfect," he says.

"Anything else?" I say.

"Um, can you try skyping my phone?" he says. I open up Annabeth's profile and video call Leo. his phone goes off and he presses accept.

"Can you see?" I say.

"Yep, and I can hear too," I say.

"Great," Leo says. Malcolm comes up to me.

"Hey Percy," he says.

"What's up Malcolm?" I say nervously.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He says.

"Yeah, sure," I say, getting up. He leads me away from Leo and the others and into the small laundry room. "So what did you want?"

"I heard about what you did for Annabeth the other day," he says. _Oh no! What does he know? What counts as 'the other day'?_

"Oh, umm," I start.

"And I just wanted to say thank you for looking out for her. You're a good kid Jackson," he says. I breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's nothing," I say.

"Perce, you went out of your way to cheer her up, and before that, you willingly nearly got yourself killed to save her. Though I don't like the fact that you two are dating, you're good to her," he says.

"Annabeth's my whole world. I can't imagine a life without her there. Yeah, I know that she's got me wrapped around her finger, and that other guys think that I'm whipped, but I don't really care. Annabeth's been in my life for so long, that she's practically already a part of the Jackson family, which is really weird considering that we haven't even had our two months yet, but oh well. Am I rambling? Because I feel like I'm rambling," I stammer.

"It's alright. I can tell that you really do care about her," he says. Annabeth passes by the door. Her hair is loose and huge, the way it normally is. Her dress is red, with long sleeves. Her boots are in her hand, and she sounds like she's warming up.

"Yeah. Yeah I do. I love that girl," I say with a smile.

"I can tell. Don't hurt her, okay? She may be strong, but she's let you into her heart, and you now have the ability to completely _destroy_ her," he says.

"I could never do that," I say honestly.

"They'll be here in five minutes!" Frank yelps from somewhere in the house.

"Oh _crap_!" I say. We sprint into the living room. Annabeth's running around trying to make sure everything's perfect, Hazel's sitting on the couch, her legs tucked underneath her. She's wearing red and blue flannel, and a black skirt. Her eyes are slightly puffy, and her nose is red.

"Everyone! Hide!" I yelp, diving behind the couch. Annabeth follows suit. I grunt as she lands on top of my legs.

"Sorry!" She whispers.

"'S okay," I murmur, squeezing my eyes shut. My heart races. I see Leo peeking out from inside the kitchen. Frank is completely covered by beanbag chairs and pillows, and Hazel is currently curled up inside the cabinet that houses all of the girls' movies and video games. Malcolm flicks off the lights and crouches behind the Christmas tree. Calypso is hidden underneath a large pile of blankets. The doors open a few minutes later.

"Surprise!" We shout in unison, jumping out of our hiding places. Jason yelps and stumbles back, while Thalia flinches.

"You guys," he says.

"Happy birthday Thalia and Jason," Piper says.

"We've got some surprises for you," Leo says, pulling the laptop into his lap. He presses a key, and four faces fill the projector screen.

"Happy birthday!" They yell.

"You got our friends to call in?" Thalia says.

"That's not all," I say. The door behind them opens.

"Thalia! Jason! Happy birthday," Mrs Grace says.

"Mom!" the twins yelp, tackling her into a hug.

"And we've got one more surprise for you," Piper says, before sitting down atop her stool with her guitar.

(Annabeth, _Piper_ , **Hazel** , _**All**_ )

 _Good morning, you're leaving  
I'll see you in the evening  
_My best friend till the end  
My better half no pretend  
 **Our language is sacred  
No people try to solve it  
**New adventures on the way  
You and me together  
 _ **Take on the world forever  
**_ _I know all your secrets_  
 _ **And I promise you I'm gonna keep them**_  
 **I'll be there when you are feeling clueless**  
 _ **You and me, oh yeah we're seamless  
**_ Woah oh, yeah, woah oh  
 **We're klutzy, but so lucky  
That I always have you to catch me  
**We're partners in crime  
You're stuck with me your whole life  
 _So different, out of our minds  
From a planet that's hard to find  
_ **Every second every day  
** _ **You and me together  
Take on the world forever  
I know all your secrets  
And I promise you I'm gonna keep them  
I'll be there when you are feeling clueless  
You and me, oh yeah we're seamless**_  
You're right by my side whenever I need you _  
_ **Through the hardest times  
** _I'll be there for you  
_ **At the crack of dawn when the moon is gone  
** _I won't be hard to find_  
'Cause you and me, oh yeah we're seamless  
 _ **You and me together**_  
Take on the world forever  
 _ **I know all your secrets  
**_ _And I promise you I'm gonna keep them  
_ **I'll be there when you are feeling clueless  
** _ **You and me, oh yeah we're seamless**_  
Woah oh, woah oh

"You guys! I'm gonna cry! This is the nicest thing you've ever done for me!" Thalia yelps.

"Thalia Grace? _Crying_? What has the world come to?" Lester jokes.

"Guys, meet Lester, Kayla, Austin, and Paolo," Annabeth says.

"Hey. I'm Percy," I say.

"Ah, so you're Annabeth's boyfriend. The swimmer," Lester says. I rub the back of my neck.

"Um yeah, kinda?" I say nervously.

" _Kinda_? We've been official for nearly two months!" Annabeth protests, pinching my hip.

"I'm Nico," Nico says, raising his hand in greeting.

"You're Thalia's boy right? Hazel's older brother?" Austin says.

"Uh, yeah," Nico says awkwardly.

"I'm Frank," Frank says.

"Frank… the dude who's the star of the football team and volunteers at animal shelters?" Kayla says

"Oh, um, sure?" He says.

"And I'm Leo," Leo says.

"Ah, the Flame Boy! Eu ouvi sobre você!" Paolo says.

"Uh thanks," Leo says.

"I'm Calypso," Cal says, playing with the end of her braid.

"Calypso… wait, is she the one who loves gardening?" Kayla says.

"Yeah, that's me," Callie says.

"Ah, and that means that you're Jason," Lester says.

"Yep," Jason says.

"So what do you want to do first?" I say.

"No idea," Thalia shrugs, as Annabeth comes over and grabs my hand. I feel that familiar flutter of the butterflies in my stomach. I glance down at the gorgeous girl that I'm so lucky to call my girlfriend. My mind drifts to the feeling of her manicured left hand in mine. _I can't wait until she has a ring on that hand. Wait what? Percy you've only been together for like two months! I know you've been not-so-secretly in love with her since seventh grade, but chill!_ My phone rings. _Call from: Triton_.

"I'm so sorry babe, but I need to take this," I say, before wandering out of the room and into the abandoned kitchen. I press accept. "Hello?"

"Oh Percy thank god," he says.

"What's up Triton? Is everything okay?" I say.

"How do I ask a girl out?" He says.

"I'm sorry, _what_?" I say.

"I want to take Rachel out, on a real date. Not what we usually do," he says.

"Well considering that what you usually do got her knocked up,yeah good choice," I snark.

"Shut up, or we'll do it in your bed," he deadpans.

"You hook up in my bed, and your kid's not going to have a dad," I threaten.

"Alright, jeez," he says.

"And what makes you think that _I_ , a sixteen year old guy, know anything about girls?" I say.

"You've had two girlfriends," he says.

"I never really went on like a _date_ date with Rachel, and date night with Annabeth is just basically ordering takeout or pizza and watching a movie. You forget, I'm a broke high school student," I say.

"Just help me," he groans.

"Rachel loves that restaurant over on Main Street. It's called Demeter's. the one with the blue shutters. They don't card you for drinks," I say, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"She's _pregnant_ ," Triton says.

"I know. But the food is good and pretty cheap. Take her there. Pick her up from her house," I say.

"Anything else?" He says.

"I work there. Let me know in advance when you're coming so I can prepare," I say.

"Thanks Percy," he says.

"See you tonight bro," I say, before hanging up. I walk back to the party.

"Hey PJ, everything alright?" Annabeth says as I rest my chin on the top of her head.

"Yeah, yeah. Just my idiot of an older brother asking for help," I murmur. She winces.

"So, uh, We're going to try and let you get to know our friends back home. I'm sure you heard of them. Kayla's the youngest person to ever get a gold medal in archery, Austin's that saxophone prodigy that won America's got talent two years ago, Paolo's a voice actor for that kid's show that Tyson loves, and Lester's an actor too," she says. I let out a low whistle.

"Hey Perce," Jason calls.

"Yeah Jay?" I say, turning to face him. I walk over to him, my hands shoved into my pockets.

"Thanks for this party. Thalia and I needed this," he says.

"You're not just my friends. You're _family_ ," I say, jokingly ruffling his hair. He groans.

"Come on bro! I just got my hair right!" He grumbles.

"Ooh, you got a hot date or something?" I smirk. He glances over at Piper. " _No way_! You finally got a date with Pipes?"

"Um… yes?" he says sheepishly.

"Bro!" I say, shoving him. "You couldn't have waited just _one_ more week? Now I owe Annabeth dinner!" I groan.

"I heard my name?" She says.

"I lost that bet. Jason asked Piper out," I grumble.

"Oh, congratulations!" she chirps.

"Good luck dating a pop star man," I joke.

"Oh hush, you big dork. It's totally normal," Annabeth says.

"Mmmhmm. Sure," I deadpan.

"Oh, shut up," she says.

"Make me," I smirk, sticking my tongue out.

"I will rip your tongue out," she growls.

"No you won't. You love me, just admit it," I say.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she says, as I wrap my arm around her, pulling her against my side.

"Oh, Thals, Jase! Do you want to open your presents?" Piper says, rubbing her hands on her red velvet pants.

"Sure?" Jason says.

"Malcolm? Can you get the presents?" Annabeth calls.

"Yeah, got 'em squirt," he yells back, before staggering into the room, burdened under the weight of several packages. I rush over and help him put them down.

"This one's from… Sammy," Thalia says. We all go silent, and the girls look down at the ground. Piper wraps her arms around Hazel quietly.

"W-what is it?" Lester stammers. She pulls out a pair of studded combat boots and a pair of tickets.

"No _way_. He got me two tickets for Warped Tour!" she gasps.

"How sweet," Kayla says.

"This one's from… Percy," Jason says. Piper and I wheeze.

"What did you do?" Annabeth says.

"Percy, what fresh hell is this?" he says, pulling a bright red bikini out of the box. Piper giggles, and Thalia clutches her stomach as she cackles.

"Happy birthday bro," I snigger, before pulling out his actual gift, a fifty dollar gift card for his favorite store.

"Thanks bro," he says.

"Alright. This one's from Hazel, Piper, and Annabeth," Thalia says. She tears open the packaging to reveal a huge photo album. "Are these pictures from tour?"

"Yeah," Annabeth says.

"Thank you so much!" She says, flipping through the album.

"From the girls? Jeez, what is this?" He says, before tearing open the wrapping paper. " a new basketball hoop? I needed one!" He says.

"No problem," she says, with a wave of her hand. I see her look over at Hazel in concern, before spitting out a lock of blonde hair.

"Ugh! I swear, I should've cut my hair shorter!" She says, wiping at her mouth.

"This one is from Nico," Thalia says. She removes the lid from the tiny box to reveal a silver arrow necklace. "Oh, it's so _beautiful_!" She chirps.

"Thalia Grace, actually _caring_ about something? What has the world come to?" Leo jokes, snapping his suspenders with his thumbs.

"You're uh… you're welcome Thals," Nico stammers.

"This one is from… Cal and Leo," Jason says. He pulls open the box to reveal a framed jersey. "Is this _mine_?" He says, holding it up.

"Yeah… I paid to have a replica of your school jersey made and framed it for you. Leo made the frame," she says. Leo nods.

"No _way_ ," he gasps. His glasses are sliding down his nose.

"This one is from… oh, Leo and Cal," Thalia says. She opens up her identical sized box to reveal a framed concert t shirt.

"It's your concert t shirt," Leo says.

"I love it! Thank you!" She says. I zone out at that point, shoving my hands in my pockets. My phone buzzes.

 _Triton: I'm freakin out bro_

I frown.

 _You: what is it this time dipshit?_

 _Triton: I'm gonna be a dad_

 _You: NO SHIT_

 _Triton: fu bro I'm serious I have no idea what I'm doing I don't know how to take care of a kid_

 _You: listen buddy you're asking the wrong guy. I don't know jack shit about being a good dad_

 _Triton: but you helped raise Annabeth's brothers_

 _You: true, but that was years ago. I gotta go. See you at home_

I shove my phone back into my pocket and rejoin my friends. On the outside, I look like any other calm, relaxed guy, but on the inside, my thoughts are swirling like storm clouds in a hurricane, full of dark thoughts that I can't seem to banish no matter how hard I try.

 _ **(A/N: Hey guys, GG here. first off, I want to apologize for taking so long on this chapter. Honestly, I've kind of hit a wall of sorts here, and I don't have as much time as I did last year to write. I've been working on other projects for you, and honestly, this one kind of fell by the wayside. I'm open to suggestions from all of you, and hopefully I can get this story moving again. Thanks for all of your support! GG over and out.)**_


End file.
